Born in Melbourne in 1842, Mary MacKillop was a passionate believer in educating the impoverished and marginalised. In 1866 she co-founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart in the South Australian town of Penola. Before long, many Josephite schools were opened throughout remote Australia and beyond.

Mary’s holiness was characterised by commitment to God, unbounded generosity, selfless charity and compassion for all. After a lifetime of tireless work on behalf of the needy, she died in Sydney in 1909.

In 1995, Mary was beatified by His Holiness Pope John Paul II. This marked the Catholic Church’s official recognition of the goodness of Mary’s life, and of her intercessory power with God since her death.

In late 2009, with the Catholic Church’s acknowledgement of a second miracle, Mary advanced towards official sainthood. She was named Australia’s first Saint on 17 October 2010 at a canonisation ceremony performed in Rome by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI.

The coin’s reverse depicts a coloured image of Saint Mary MacKillop. The design incorporates the inscription SAINT MARY MACKILLOP FIRST AUSTRALIAN SAINT. Also included are the 2010 year-date and The Perth Mint’s ‘P’ mintmark.

The coin’s obverse portrays the Ian Rank-Broadley effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

No more than 7,500 of these coins will be issued by The Perth Mint

Technical Specifications