ABOUT US
Hartzer Park is a retreat and conference centre owned and managed by the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (OLSH). The Sisters are an international Congregation of women ministering and working in twenty-six countries around the world.
The present brick building which is used for conferences, retreats and accommodation was opened in 1963. It was built in a European monastic style, with hundreds of arches and six main cloisters around the central courtyard. The inspiring chapel is in a Romanesque and Byzantine style.
Hartzer Park as a place of rest and a centre for human and spiritual development was opened to the general public in January 1978. The staff are committed to providing an atmosphere of peace and refreshment where each guest is made to feel at home in the quiet and tranquil surroundings.
THE HISTORY OF THE PROPERTY
The present 'Hartzer Park' property was purchased in 1947 as a place of training for young women who were joining the Congregation. At the time, the property was known as Eridge Park.
'Hartzer Park' was named after Marie Louise Hartzer, who was the first Superior General of the Congregation of The Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. The Congregation was founded in Issoudun, France in 1874 by Fr. Jules Chevalier (M.S.C).
Marie Louise had been a young widow with two sons when she first came into contact with the Congregation in France. She felt drawn to give her life to God and to share
her life with others in loving service. After her sons had grown up and were settled, she joined the congregation.
Marie Louise guided the small group of women in the very beginnings of the Congregation and it was through her wise, practical, motherly guidance and skillful leadership that the Congregation spread through Europe and into Oceania.
Acknowledgment of Country
The original inhabitants of Bowral and the land on which Hartzer Park is situated, are the Gundungurra people. We wish to honor and acknowledge their presence and their history.
Marie Louise Hartzer
