Mary MacKillop - Port Chalmers
A cache in memory of a great Australian who founded many schools in Australia and New Zealand!
The cache is located in Port Chalmers
Mary MacKillop was born in Melbourne in 1842. When she was in Penola, South Australia, 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, orphanages for children, visiting prisons and working with the sick.
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.
Port Chalmers
The school was founded in 1882 and was named St Mary’s School. In 1898 Mother Mary MacKillop and two Sisters of St Joseph arrived into Port Chalmers and established the Josephite order. The school was renamed St Joseph’s. Mary is now recognized as one of the Catholic Church’s newest saint - Saint Mary MacKillop and is also known as Saint Mary of the Cross, the first Saint to ever live in Port Chalmers.
The following was posted on Facebook August 2022 …
Regretfully the school is closing.
After a considerably long period of consultation and waiting it has finally been announced that St Joseph’s School will be closing at the end of this year. The Diocese and the Ministry of Education have mutually agreed to this outcome, and the staff and Board of Trustees of the school respects this decision.
Article from CathNews NZ….
The school was opened in 1898, after Mother (now Saint) Mary MacKillop and two Josephite Sisters arrived in Dunedin at the request of Fr McMullen, the parish priest of Port Chalmers, according to the school’s website.
They were there to do ‘God’s work with God’s children.’
On arrival they found the old school, then called St Mary’s School, to be less than adequate.
It was an old shed-like house and in a sad state of disrepair. The Sisters called upon the divine inspiration of St Joseph to help repair the old and cold house to make it more habitable. The new school, St Joseph’s Primary School, was opened at the end of January 1898.
Saint Mary MacKillop was the first Head of St Joseph’s in Port Chalmers, teaching the Upper Standards. Some of this teaching took place in the church choir loft (now removed) and in the pews because of the demand for space.
The second St Joseph’s School building was opened in 1913. The two-story brick building became a feature of the Port Chalmer’s landscape.
The Sisters of St Joseph continued to run the school until 1979 before handing the role over to lay teachers to carry on ‘God’s work’.
In 1987 the third St Joseph’s School was built. The new building incorporated the new image of Catholic education in the Dunedin Diocese and features modern, stylish classrooms and a generous outdoor play environment.
Mary MacKillop
Mary died on August 8th, 1909 and is buried in North Sydney, Australia.
Mary MacKillop was declared Australia’s first Saint in 2010.
Geocache Series
There are over 150 caches in her honour across Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Scotland. Currently hides in her honour in New Zealand, include Gisborne, Mangere, Mission Bay, Whanganui Temuka and Arrowtown.
Thank you for the willing local cachers who manage the hides and expand the series.
To find the cache use the plaque on the front of the church to work out the following:
"..Sunday AB May CDEF..."
"...was added in GHJK."
"...porch in LMNP."
S45°49.B(B+L)(N+A)
E170°37.(J-K)P(F-B-G)
Checksum = 25
Bring your own pen
Description by Travelling Sister
Cache placement and maintenance by Wilbywarrior