A Penola Pilgrimage - Mary MacKillop

Between Mt Gambier and Naracoorte is Penola, a curious little town with a fine bakery and antique shop. Its biggest claim to fame is Mary MacKillop.

The Mary MacKillop Interpretive Centre is a classy, modern building that tells the story of this Josephite nun, as does the little stone schoolhouse where she taught. Her school was the first in Australia to cater for any child, regardless of income or social standing. There’s a slightly eerie feeling when you enter the classroom – a bit like a church where you feel forced to whisper. Once excommunicated from the Catholic Church, MacKillop is now one step away from being declared a saint by the Vatican.