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.
Maryborough
St Mary’s has been an important part of the Maryborough Community for over 150 years. The first Catholic school here opened in 1858 and was the beginnings of the school we now refer to as St Mary’s Catholic Primary, although it was not known by that name. This makes St Mary’s the oldest still operating Catholic School in Queensland.
The school was staffed by lay people until 1870 when the first Sisters arrived. With the canonization of Mother Mary MacKillop as Australia’s first Saint, it is pleasing for us to note that the first sisters to come to Maryborough were actually Sisters of St Joseph (or Josephite Sisters), the order of nuns founded by Mary. However, in 1879, the Sisters were withdrawn, at the time of Mary’s excommunication from the church. It is very likely that Mary visited Maryborough and we have recently discovered that there are two Sisters of St Joseph buried in the Maryborough cemetery.
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.
Thank you The Goons an Liz and Bruce for assistance with the hide.