Mary MacKillop Place Museum

Mary MacKillop (1842-1909) was the founder of the Sisters of St Joseph, an order initially devoted to educating poor Australian children. Often referred to as ‘the people’s saint’, MacKillop’s pioneering work lead to her beatification in 1995 when the Pope visited and blessed the site, giving Australia its first – and only – saint to date. She died on 8 August 1909, and the eighth day of each month has become one of pilgrimage to the museum for devout Catholics. It includes MacKillop’s home, Alma Cottage, and the chapel housing her tomb. A curious mix of humble 19th-century artefacts and high-tech wizardry, the displays of MacKillop’s possessions – including crucifixes, rosary beads, figurines and scraps of her habits – are jazzed up with talking dioramas, videos and other surprisingly cool special effects, all of which take you on a journey through the saint’s life.