An Australian Sister of Mercy, Sr Rosemary was far more than an educator, art historian, and curator – she was a visionary who saw the divine dancing within the brushstrokes of contemporary art. Her lifelong devotion to art and spirituality earned her an international reputation. She possessed a rare ability to look at modern masterworks, including Indigenous Australian art, and reveal the deep spiritual pulse throbbing beneath the surface. Her groundbreaking exhibitions at the National Gallery of Victoria, such as Images of Religion in Australian Art (1988–89) and Beyond Belief: Modern Art and the Religious Imagination (1998), invited everyday viewers to contemplate the sacred in unexpected places. Through her widely celebrated publications, including The Blake Book, she gave us a language to speak about art, religion, and the Australian soul.
Her immense contribution to the cultural and spiritual life of our nation was formally recognised in 2001, when she was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Our parish was extraordinarily blessed to count Sr Rosemary as a dear friend. Many in our community will fondly remember her significant role in creating the book Deepdene, the Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel. This publication was far more than a simple commemorative text; it offers breathtaking insights into our refurbished church, carefully walking the reader through the liturgical designs, their construction, and their ultimate installation. True to Sr Rosemary’s standard, the book itself is a genuine piece of art, serving as a lasting testament to her eye for beauty and her heart for worship.
I had the immense privilege of watching her work firsthand on the Deepdene book project. To see Sr Rosemary in her element was to witness a rare blend of profound intellect, boundless creativity, and quiet humility. She was a woman of extraordinary talent and deep wisdom. I will always fondly treasure our wonderful chats about art, museums, and life, and I feel deeply honoured that she once gifted me one of her own books – a precious keepsake I will cherish forever.
As we mourn her passing, we also give thanks for a life so generously lived in service of God, art, and neighbour. She showed us that art is not merely something to be looked at, but a threshold through which we might glimpse the divine.
Vale, Rosemary. May the divine spirit you saw dancing in every brushstroke now hold you in everlasting light and grace.
Copies of Deepdene, the Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel are still available. If you would like to purchase a copy and share in Sr Rosemary’s wonderful legacy, please contact the Parish Office.
Mass of Christian Burial for the repose of the soul of Sr Rosemary Anne Crumlin RSM will be offered in the M.M. Clare Dunphy Memorial Chapel, Our Lady of Mercy Convent, 6 Victoria Road, Parramatta NSW, commencing at 10.30 am on Thursday, 13 August 2026.
For those unable to attend in person, the Mass will be live streamed and may be accessed via the following link: www.FuneralVideo.com.au/SrRosemaryCrumlin
19 Brenbeal Street, Balwyn VIC 3103
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Email: [email protected]
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Georgie Stubbs says:
I remember Sr Rosemary telling us at the ecumenical summer school at St Mary’s College Melb about the aboriginal art work ‘ Search for theLivingWater’ by the women from Balgo – Turkey Creek for the bicentennial celebration at Parliament House Canberra – ofhow all we need to do is to set this piece and the Christian story of the search for the living water side by side and honour them – I have passed on her insights to many over the years
I was so inspired by her curated ‘ Beyond Belief’ exhibition at the NGV
Thankyou Rosemary in peace Georgie
Paul Gerard Ward says:
Hearing today of Rosemary’s passing I felt a deep sadness in my spirit.
I first encountered Rosemary Crumlin in Melbourne at the NPI (1986) while attempting to understand Theology and Liturgy and facing personal growth challenges.
At the time I was not one who appreciated art and culture as much as I do these days. I would have loved to have had the opportunity to work with Rosemary in one of her tutorials .
Rosemary’s spirit lives on. Paul
Bren says:
‘…the divine dancing within the brush strokes of contemporary art’. A bit of the divine in your pen strokes too Kate. A worthy piece for Rosemary. There was a divine generosity in Rosary’s view of art and the world.
Frances Burke (nee Haysman) says:
My name was Frances Haysman and I shared an Art Class with Anna Torv, later Anna Murdoch, who also passed this year, with Sister St. Thomas as our teacher. She was remarkable. I have been trying to find her since Anna died because Anna’s grand daughter and I are collecting information about the many people and organizations Anna sponsored. We were hoping for Rosemary’s input. Anna and Rosemary became close friends when Rosemary went to England to study and Anna was living there with her husband Rupert Murdoch and her first born child. I am certain that the Murdoch’s sponsored one of Rosemary’s art exhibitions and that was the story we wanted to find out more about. Is there anyone I can contact who might be able to help us find this information? I have been trying to contact her since February when Anna’s funeral was held in Palm Beach. But I could not find a current email or phone number or address. I am so upset that I only missed her by 7 days. She was an inspiration. Because of her I applied for scholarships to attend university as my parents had separated and I had no money. I was not going to apply because I felt I wouldn’t be successful. In 1960 I was in the classroom by myself, quietly crying, and she came in and sat beside me and encouraged me to apply. I became a teacher because of her and based my teaching style on her teaching. She was an inspiration. We were so fortunate to have her as our art teacher. She opened a world of wonders to her students and encouraged us to be thinking and questioning learners. I am so grateful to have spent part of my youth in her class. What a remarkable woman she was. May she rest in peace.