Mary MacKillop was born in Melbourne in 1842. In Penola she met Julian Tenison Woods and together they opened the first St Joseph's School in 1866.
Mary MacKillop founded the Sisters of St Joseph to continue this work. Over the many following years, the number of Sisters grew as did their schools. Schools were opened as the needs arose. The Sisters also became involved in other areas of need including setting up a refuge for women in need and orphanages for children, visiting prisons and working with the sick.
History of Mount Carmel College ….
· 1927 – Marist Brothers open a boys’ school - Newcastle Street site.
· 1940 - Mount Carmel Girls Secondary School established at Alberton, centralising the three girls’ schools from Port Adelaide, Alberton and Woodville.
· 1965 – Only girls from the Port Adelaide/Pennington Parish being enrolled in secondary
· 1966 – Marist Brothers boys’ school is closed.
· 1967 – Mount Carmel College established - Sisters relocated the Secondary Girls from Mount Carmel Girl’s School in Pennington to Newcastle Street site.
Mary MacKilop's famous saying was "Never see a need without doing something about it"
Well..... there was a need, a geochache in her honour, and something has been done about it!
This is one of many caches placed in significant locations of her story.
Mary died on August 8th, 1909.
She was declared Australia’s first Saint in 2012.