The cache is located near the former St Joseph’s School, Eden which closed in 2011 and the place where Flora MacDonald (Mary MacKillop's mother) died.
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.
History of Eden….
St Joseph’s Primary School, Eden was founded by Mary MacKillop with the first community of Sisters of St Joseph arriving in August 1891. There has been a continuous presence of Josephite sisters at the school since the time it began.
Eden's link with Mary MacKillop probably began in 1886 when her mother, Flora, died after the passenger steamer, Ly-ee-moon, was wrecked after striking a reef at nearby Green Cape. Only 15 people survived and 71 died.
Mrs MacKillop had been travelling to Sydney to help at a church fete organised by her daughter, Mary. After her mother's death, she visited Eden and opened St Joseph's Primary School staying eight days.
" The mother I have so much cause to love…” wrote Mary MacKillop. She also wrote ... “May my darling Mother be rewarded for what I owe to her early training, teaching, and example. Yes, dearest Mamma, you above all…” Mary to her mother, London, March 10 1874
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.
MANY THANKS TO DGHOFFY FOR THE HIDE AS PART OF THE MARY MACKILLOP SERIES.