Mary MacKillop Place Museum

Since opening in 1995, the museum has been engaging visitors with the remarkable story of Mary MacKillop [1842 – 1909], Australia’s first Saint and the co-founder of the order Julian Tenison Woods [1832 – 1889].

Our Story

The museum is housed in the original ‘Practice School’ for novices built in the 1900s. It now offers visitors a window into the mid colonial to the pre federation period of Australian history.

The museum is a ministry of the Sisters of Saint Joseph and is located on the site in which Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop is buried. The Mary MacKillop Memorial Chapel is adjacent to the museum and is an integral part of a visitor’s experience to the site.

The museum is steeped in the story of the growth of the Catholic Church in Australia, English Protestant and Irish Catholic division and the plight of the under classes.

The museum and the Mary MacKillop Memorial Chapel celebrate the legacy of a humble woman and the priest, scientist and explorer who forged a new approach in serving the poor.