January 15 marks the 182nd anniversary of the birth of Mary Mackillop, who became Australia's first saint when she was beatified by Pope John Paul II on January 19 1995.
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Saint Mary became closely associated with Eden in the wake of the loss of the steamship Ly-ee-moon, which ran aground on Green Cape en route from Melbourne in 1886.
Among those on board was Mary's mother Flora, on her way to Sydney to help her daughter at a fundraising bazaar. Grateful for the care shown to her mother's mortal remains, Mary sent three of her Josephite Sisters to Eden to establish a school.
Mother Mary visited Eden in 1899 and 1901, teaching and testing the pupils. The small building in Calle Calle St was replaced by a new church in 1992, and now houses the Saint Mary Mackillop Museum. The hall is open every day of the year and is visited each year by hundreds of people from all over the country.
