Convent of the Good Shepherd, Bendigo (1905 - 1984)

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Convent of the Good Shepherd, Bendigo was established at the request of the Bishop to cater for the many homeless children in the diocese.

Heritage Victoria describes St Aidan's Orphanage as 'landmark buildings [that] dominated the surrounding countryside, giving a high visibility to the charitable works of the Catholic Church and making a compelling statement about its authority.'

In the early 1930s the Sisters received a grant of £7000 from the state government's Unemployment Relief Fund to build a two-storey building to the east of the original building at St Aidan's. This was a major project in the Bendigo area during the Depression. The new building was opened by the Premier in 1931.

In April 1956, 'St Aidan's Orphanage' was declared an approved children's home under the Children's Welfare Act 1954.

The Convent of the Good Shepherd, Bendigo operated as a residential care facility for children until 1981. A number of women with disabilities remained in care at Bendigo Convent from 1977, until the sale of the Convent to Girton College in 1984.