Widow Audrey Thibault restores Saint Columba’s Convent in Yeoval

It was a fresh start for a widow who moved to Yeoval and bought a former, rundown convent in 2018. Four years later and the site has been restored. Read about the journey.

Saint Columba's convent originally built in 1928 in Yeoval which was rebuilt and refurnished by Audrey Thibault.

A 61-year-old widow, with hopes of starting over, took the plunge and bought a former convent in Yeoval with plans to rebuild her new home along with her wellbeing.

Audrey Thibault purchased Saint Columba’s Convent in 2018, despite advice that the building was in a poor state, and has spent the past four years restoring the site to resemble its original glory.

Mrs Thibault’s passion for restoring houses came when her late husband Warren was diagnosed with a rare cancer and required pre trial drugs costing the couple an extra $16,000 a month.

To generate more income to pay for medication, Mrs Thibault began restoring houses to sell before the couple moved to Portland from Tamworth.

“Eventually he passed away and I spent the next 12 months pivoting and stuck in the one spot because of the grief,” Mrs Thibault said.

Saint Columba's convent originally built in 1928 in Yeoval which was rebuilt and refurnished by Audrey Thibault.

Mrs Thibault said she experienced irregular sleeping patterns, extreme weight loss and knew she needed to get back into a “renovation project”.

She visited the Yeoval property a few times with a real estate agent but was convinced to purchase the convent by the local residents in 2018.

“Yeoval had an event on, so I went and there were thousands of caravans along the streets,” she said.

“I looked at the property that day again and my real estate agent told me to go to the hall as they had a big display of the convent.

“I hadn’t met anyone in town at this point, and I had several people around me telling me they or their parents went to school there.

“I saw all the history and heard all the stories, and I eventually bought it – it was meant to be.

“The people of Yeoval inadvertently sold me the convent without intending to because it meant so much to them.”

The convent was originally built in 1928, capturing an art deco and Italian Villa which Thibault wanted to recreate through her renovation.

Mrs Thibault has a passion for restoration projects.

She partnered with local builder Murray Parker to remove and rebuild the original walls, paint, do plaster work, rebuild the facade, install the kitchen and other amenities, and other work.

Mrs Thibault lived there while the renovations were under way often with “no electricity” and a “trestle table” with a plastic base.

“Probably the happiest day of my life was when the renovation was complete, and I got Murray and a few other volunteers to help me bring everything I owned to the verandah and into the house,” she said.

“I felt like a kid in a candy store.

“I was delighted to be able to open up my new kitchen drawers and put in my cutlery and coffee cups.”

Mrs Thibault created a Facebook page to encompass the journey of the restorations as local residents were intrigued to know what their old school and church was being modified into.

Audrey Thibault and her husband Steve Whiley.

In 2021, Thibault remarried Steve Whiley who assisted with the gardening and landscaping of the convent.

“Steve confessed not to being much of a gardener, but he worked very hard, and as a new couple we have managed to create a miracle creating the garden at the front,” Mrs Thibault said.

Saint Columba's convent originally built in 1928 in Yeoval which was rebuilt and refurnished by Audrey Thibault.

With aspects of the restoration yet to be completed, Mrs Thibault said she was considering opening a part of the convent for wedding photography.

“Last year we had some ladies and gentlemen come for a Biggest Morning Tea event and it was really successful,” she said.

“I want to give the gardens a few years to establish themselves.”

Mrs Thibault said she was “grateful” for the convent as it healed her and led to the introduction of her husband.

“The community have supported and encouraged me through every aspect of my vision,” she said.