I think I should refer to Wikipedia for this one.
"New Norcia is the only monastic town in Australia. A ground station for the European Space Agency is located 8 km south of the town". Wiki explains..."Monasticism (from Greek μοναχός, monachos, derived from μόνος, monos, 'alone') or monkhood is a religious way of life in which one renounces worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual work. Monastic life plays an important role in many Christian churches, especially in the Catholic and Orthodox traditions. Similar forms of religious life also exist in other faiths, most notably in Buddhism, but also in Hinduism and Jainism, although the expressions differ considerably.[1] By contrast, in other religions monasticism is criticized and not practiced, as in Islam and Zoroastrianism, or plays a marginal role, as in Judaism. Women pursuing a monastic life are generally called nuns, while monastic men are called monks. More recently, both have described themselves simply as “monastics.” Many monastics live in monasteries to stay away from the secular world. The way of addressing monastics differs between the Christian traditions. As a general rule, in Roman Catholicism, monks and nuns are called brother or sister, while in Eastern Orthodoxy, they are called father or mother".

While interseting historical buildings and fascinating modern day envionrment, talk about that eerie feeling! Now my antireligion bias may contribute here, but this place is overbearingly sombre, sad and repressive and courses through my veins all the reasons why I am NOT a supporter of the religious institution. Definitely worthy of a visit though.