St Mary's Star of the Sea Catholic Church

No Foundation Stone or Memorial Plaque details are known. Information/photographs are invited.

A plaque records: St Mary's Star of the Sea - commissioned by - Fr Julian Tenison Woods - in 1858. - Built from stone quarried at Richmond Park - completed by January 1859. - Present sacristy was used as a convent - in 1870s by the Sisters of St Joseph - 15th September 1991.

An historic plaque records: Our Lady Star - of the Sea Church - Built in 1858, this was the first place of worship completed in - Robe and one of the earliest Catholic churches in South Australia. - Priests such as the renowned Fr Julian Tennyson Woods visited to conduct - services. Between 1867 and 1888 the Sisters of St Joseph, a teaching - order founded by Mother Mary MacKillop, ran a school for parish - children in two rooms attached to the Church.

An historic plaque rcords: Our Lady Star of the Sea Church - In March 1857, Father Julian Tenison Woods arrived in Robe on board the steamer SS Boomerang to take up his new position as parish priest of the south-eastern district of South Australia -

The Parish covered 56,000 square kilometres of bushland, and Our Lady Star of the Sea Church was built in 1858 to host Mass and provide sparse lodgings for the travelling minister.- Father Woods had a vision of founding a religious order of women devoted to the education of disadvantaged children in this region, and his vision was realised when he co-founded the Sisters of Saint Joseph in Penola with his close friend Mary MacKillop. - The Josephite Sisters set up a school inside this church in 1868 and continued until 1882, living in the sacristy and teaching lessons in the body of the Church. Mary MacKillop was a source of strength and inspiration to her religious Sisters during her regular visits, and the Josephites quickly established themselves in the hearts of the local people.