In 1913, four
sisters of St Joseph (Mary MacKillop's sisters) arrived in
Milton to teach the children of the district. As there was
no school building, the sisters taught in the Church. They
lived in a small cottage in town, and walked up the hill to
where the present church stands.
The convent foundation stone was laid in 1915, and the
convent opened five years later on 25 November 1919. This
building still stands across the lane from the school.
Because of very small enrolments, the school was closed in
1923. Milton was then part of the Canberra-Goulburn
Diocese. In the following years several efforts were made
to re-open the school. These were unsuccessful, as at any
time there were no more than 16 prospective enrolments.
Milton was transferred to the diocese of Wollongong when it
was created by the Holy Father in 1951. By the medium of
voluntary labour and the donation of timber, a new school
was opened that year with 64 pupils, growing to 94 pupils
by the end of the year.
In 1963, the weatherboard school was moved intact on a low
loader from the Princes Highway to the present site. This
building is now known as the MacKillop Room. In the same
year, a large brick building was erected on the present
site. The school was enlarged in 1976 and 1981, recent
refurbishments were completed in January 1998.
In December 1985, the convent closed and the Sisters
withdrew. Since 1986, the school has been led by a lay
Principal. Hopefully, under such leadership, we continue to
carry on in the spirit of Mary MacKillop and permeate the
values and traditions of our Catholic faith.