The cache is located down the road and around the corner from St Mary’s Primary School, Swan Hill
Thanks to Sparra0907 who will maintain the cache
Mary MacKillop was born in Melbourne in 1842. When she was 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: in country towns, mining towns, cities. 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.
SWAN HILL 2
From its humble beginnings at High St on the 10th March 1919, St Mary’s opened under the guidance of Miss Anne Hanrahan with 75 students. St Mary’s Primary School has grown to its current student population of approximately 490 students and fifty staff at its present Murlong Street site.
Saint Mary MacKillop together with Julian Tenison-Woods founded the Josephite schools so that children in remote and rural areas would have access to a Catholic education. In July 1923, the arrival of three Sisters of St. Joseph in Swan Hill, began the long and close association of the Josephites with Catholic Education in Swan Hill. In 1923 Bishop Foley blessed the foundation stone of the new convent, later known as MacKillop House, which was burnt down in 1989. Extensive refurbishment took place between 1980 and 1990 at the High Street site, which is now occupied by St. Mary MacKillop College.
The long tradition of St. Mary’s School being headed by St. Joseph sisters ended in 1996 when, after 73 years, a lay principal was appointed for the beginning of the 1997 school year. However, the Josephite characteristics of hard work, dedication, community and family unity are still strong features of the school.
The new school is set on the old Shamrock Park site, with its boundaries being Murlong and Karinie Streets. Stages one and two of the building program were completed in December 1996 enabling all students to attend school on the one site, after nearly two years of being a dual campus school while building progressed. St Mary’s currently comprises ten permanent and ten portable classrooms, a multipurpose room, canteen and an administration building, which houses a library, computer lab, staffroom and offices. 2010 saw the completion of the newest building, the Gymnasium which houses a full sized basketball court, seating for 600 people, 2 classrooms, 2 interview rooms and toilet and kitchen facilities.
Mary MacKillop ….
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 2010.