Founding Sisters Journey

When Australian denominational schools were denied government funds by the 1872 Education Act, Father J F Corbett, the Parish Priest of St Mary's St Kilda, appealed to the Presentation Community of Limerick in Ireland for volunteers to staff his school.

The seven women who subsequently made up the mission to St Kilda were led by Mother Paul Mulquin, professed 10 years, and her assistant Mother Bernard Gunson, professed 21 years. Three others were Mother Patrick Irwin, bursar, Sister Margaret Mary Cronin, Novice Mistress, and Sister Berchmans Carroll, Sacristan. Two prospective postulants completed the party - Mary Elizabeth (Bessie) Mackey (later Sister Francis Xavier), approximately 19 years, and Anne Bray (later Sister Monica) who was in her 20s. 

On Wednesday morning, 22 October 1873, the party departed from Limerick station. Thirty priests formed a guard of honour and many relatives attended the sad farewell.

In Dublin, the party dined at the Presentation Convent, Georges Hill, before heading to the docks where they boarded a steam packet, amazingly named Windsor, for the overnight crossing to Liverpool. 

They boarded the SS Great Britain with more than 700 passengers for the journey to Melbourne. They docked in Melbourne on 21 December 1873 and noted, "so we landed ...Melbourne harbour crowded with shipping ... at last we saw Father Corbett ... he made his way to us and bade us welcome - sailing over 56 days tour - we, the first Victorian colony of Presentation nuns".

After disembarking, they proceeded by carriage to St Mary's and a celebratory dinner. Mother Paul described it as ...our little paradise of a convent. It is a most beautiful spot, built with the church and school on two acres of land. It is a great mistake to think that we should want for anything ... I think we are too happy and as to Father Corbett's kindness and hospitality, we could never speak well enough of it.

The foundation of the Presentation Community has its actual day, Christmas Day 1873 - the day on which 96 years previously Nano Nagle, had opened the first Presentation House in Cork, Ireland. The Sisters took their first classes in the church on 26 January 1874. There were 22 pupils.