The concept of establishing the Norbertine Order in Australia came originally from the religious community in Western Australia.

In 1955 the then Vice Chancellor to the Archbishop of Perth approached Fr Peter O'Reilly, who was at the time, the Prior of the newly constituted Kilnacrott Abbey. However it was not until 1958 after a further request to establish the Norbertines in Perth, that arrangements began to take shape.

Abbot Colwell visited Perth in 1958 and established plans for the foundation.

Fr Peter O'Reilly came out from Kilnacrott Abbey in Ireland in 1959 with Fr John Reynolds. Fr Steven Cooney arrived via America later that year.

The three were appointed in early 1959 to establish the first Norbertine foundation in Australia. Fr O'Reilly was appointed superior of the Australian mission and on the 17th May 1959 was inducted as Parish Priest of the country town of York, some 70km east of Perth.

By 1960 the fathers had brought a farm "Kerry Downs" in York, which was formally blessed and opened by Archbishop Prendiville on the 2nd September 1962.    Kerry Downs became the Priory and the Fathers were responsible for the parish of York, supply work, missions and retreats.  A part of the original plan for the development of the Norbertine order was the establishment of a Catholic school, but there was little need for a school in York since there were already Catholic schools in nearby towns.

St Norbert's statue as depicted in the Priory Church
of St Joseph, Queens Park, over the backdrop
of a Western Australian sunset.

With financial assistance from the Archbishop, four classrooms and a Priory were built.  In 1965 Abbot Colwell came out from Kilnacrott with Fr Laurence Anderson who was to be the founding Headmaster, to officially open the school.  Fr Joseph O'Donohoe became the Deputy Headmaster.  The school opened as St Norbert College with one class of grade six boys.  In 1975 St Norbert College became a co-educational high school. 

Due to the development of the Queens Park site, both Priory and College, the centre of the Community moved to Queens Park.  In 1978, the Priory was extended, in fact doubled in size, and the Community swelled with a number of vocations. 

In 1985,  Fr Peter O'Reilly retired as Prior and Fr Tom McNulty was appointed from Kilnacrott.

During 1990 and 1991 the "jewel of the crown" our new Priory Church was constructed and dedicated on March 19th 1991.

At that time the Norbertine Community became a quasi canonry, that is, a semi-independent community responsible for most of its own affairs. The Priory also changed its name to St Joseph's Priory under the title,  Joseph - Guardian of the Redeemer. 

At Easter 1993, Fr Tom McNulty resigned as Prior, and subsequently returned to Ireland and Fr Peter Joseph was appointed by the Abbot as Prior.

On 8th December, 1995 the Norbertine Canons at Queens Park became an independent community of the Norbertine Order - the final step in becoming a fully fledged "Canonry".  It was also on that day the community elected its first Prelate, Prior de Regimine - Fr Peter Joseph Stiglich O.Praem.