Mother Mary Vincent Whitty, R.S.M., (1 March 1819 – 9 March 1892) was an Irish Religious Sister known for her work in the Australian state of Queensland. She was a leading figure in the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy, both in Ireland and in its expansion into the then-British colony of Australia.

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Whitty arrived in Brisbane with five other Sisters on 10 May 1861 and that following November founded All Hallows' School, a Catholic girls school. Although the Bishop removed her as Superior in 1863, the community of Sisters she founded soon spread throughout the new colony, with more than 20 convents founded before her death.

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Bishop Quinn's decision to include Mother Vincent in his pastoral plan proved to be inspirational, and under her leadership the Sisters of Mercy were able to make a positive contribution to the growth of the Catholic community throughout the State of Queensland.

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In May 1861, Mother Vincent Whitty and five other women who had dedicated their lives to works of charity and mercy arrived in Australia. Mother Vincent had been a close associate of Catherine McAuley and joining a Mercy venture overseas had been the real desire of her heart for many years.

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Under her guidance, this little group was committed to continuing the work of Mercy that had seen the establishment of Mater Misericordiae Hospital in Dublin.

Although the sisters were immediately busy with education and visiting the sick, Mother Vincent’s main ambition was to build a hospital dedicated to caring for the poor. In 1883, one year after Mother Vincent’s death, the sisters bought land at South Brisbane and began to develop plans for the present Mater campus.

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Mater’s South Brisbane campus is home to the Whitty Building. This building served as the original Mater Public Hospital from February 1911 until 1981, when Mater Adult Hospital opened. The building was then known as the “Administration Centre” until 2008 when it was renamed in honour of Mother Mary Vincent Whitty.

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Designed by architects Hall & Dods, the building had a “butterfly or “X” shape, which was popular in England in the early 20th century. The design’s broad verandahs provided effective ventilation for the Brisbane climate.

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Although the building has undergone numerous extensions and additions, there are areas where the original structure and design are still evident including woodwork, pressed metal ceilings, plaster work and stained glass windows.

 

 Her schools flourished though some of her projects did not, notably a hospital and work with Aboriginals. At her death, twenty-six Mercy schools, mainly along the coastline to Townsville, had 222 Sisters with 7000 pupils. At Nudgee there was a Mercy Training College for teachers. Mother Vincent had commenced a secondary school (All Hallows') many years before the state entered this field.

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She duplicated in Brisbane the types of social work she had pioneered in Dublin, and provided a link between all forms of service in regular home visitation. She died in Brisbane on 9 March 1892 and was buried in Nudgee cemetery. Her work has stood the test of a century of change.

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