On Sunday, July 6th, 2025, approximately 50 friends, family, colleagues and former staff of the MSS gathered at the University of Divinity in Box Hill for a special High Tea event. The occasion provided an opportunity for the MSS to formally thank all who’d been involved with their mission entity, Highways and Byways: Healing the Land, Healing Ourselves, Together, which is now part of Mary MacKillop Today, a ministry of the Sisters of St Joseph. (Read more about this change, here).
The gathering celebrated the contributions of individuals to the mission entities of the MSS over the past 15 years, starting with The John Wallis Foundation (JWF) founded in 2010, which later evolved into Highways and Byways (H&B). Attendees included the Melbourne MSS Sisters, past H&B board and committee members, volunteer supporters and friends and family, H&B branch members, and MSS Stewardship Council members. Also present were former Executive Officers of JWF and H&B, Jane Collopy and Liz McAloon.
Liz McAloon, who served from September 2013 to February 2022 and returned for six months this year to oversee the transition, reflected that ‘It takes quite a community to develop a thriving, national foundation on minimal resources.’
‘Highways and Byways has played a significant role in my life. It has been hugely fulfilling to be part of its growth—unfolding the vision over the years. What a privilege to be guided by the wisdom and spirit of the MSS leadership Team, particularly Stancea Vichie MSS, Bernadette Wallis MSS, Corrie van den Bosch MSS and Bernadette Madden MSS.
‘To be guided with such a sense of fun, humour and adventure was a bonus! We have formed lifelong friendships. Who knows where the spirit will take us next?’
Stancea Vichie MSS welcomed guests, acknowledging the gathering on Wurundjeri Country. She recounted the history of the JWF and H&B, and the decision to partner with Mary MacKillop Today.
Stancea commented on the event’s success, stating, ‘It was a beautiful celebration. It went so well. Nobody seemed to want to go! Essentially, it provided an opportunity to once again thank all who have been involved in the JWF and H&B story. We couldn’t have done it without the support of so many.’
Marg Casey, the retiring Chair of the H&B Board, expressed gratitude to all who had contributed to the journey and supported her during her six years as chair.
The Highways and Byways Legacy Continues with Mary MacKillop Today
A key aspect of the High Tea celebration was the successful transition of the Highways and Byways program to Mary MacKillop Today, now known as the Mary MacKillop Today Highways and Byways Program. This partnership ensures the continuation of the MSS’s mission to support those experiencing disadvantage and exclusion, particularly in rural and regional Australia. As Marg Casey stated in December last year, ‘The power of what the MSS have done over the past 80 years will be carried forward in this new way, managed by Mary MacKillop Today’.
We’re pleased to share that the latest round of applications for the 2025 program has resulted in funding for 29 projects, valued at a total of $120,557.58. The following projects exemplify how the MSS legacy continues to impact communities across Australia.
• Indigenous Re-vegetation (Myers Flat, Bendigo, VIC): Re-vegetation of the Great Stupa inter-faith Peace Park with indigenous bush tucker plants, involving local volunteers and the Dja Dja Wurrung people.
• Sharing Indigenous Land Management Knowledge (Reids Flat, NSW): A workshop led by a First Nations woman sharing Aboriginal knowledge and connection to country with farming women.
• CCC Youth Cultural Immersion and Acknowledgement Project (Rockhampton, QLD): Engaging young people in cultural learning with an Indigenous elder and artist to foster leadership in reconciliation and sustainability.
• Koala Climate Corridors (Lockyer Valley, QLD): Engaging student volunteers in native tree planting for habitat corridors, with a First Nations mentor sharing Indigenous knowledge and cultural significance of land care.
• Community Reconciliation Gathering Space (Queenscliff, VIC): Establishing a safe, inclusive space with plants native to the Bellarine, involving consultation with Wadawurrung traditional owners and enhancing environmental biodiversity.
• Community Cultural Safety and Landscape Enhancement Program (Ceduna, SA): Funding tools and equipment for a small Aboriginal family-based community to become self-sufficient in maintaining their properties, enhancing safety and well-being.
The continued support from our friends, now through Mary MacKillop Today, remains essential in making a profound difference in marginalised communities across Australia. We encourage people to continue to support the work of MMT-HB Small Grants program by donating, here.
Photos courtesy Bernadette Madden MSS.
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From left: Marg Casey, Bernadette Wallis MSS, Bernadette Madden MSS and Liz McAloon.
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Stancea Vichie MSS welcomes everyone.
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Stancea Vichie MSS welcomes everyone.
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Guests at the High Tea.
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Guests at the High Tea.
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Marg Casey (right) with guest.
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Marg Casey is presented with flowers from Stancea Vichie MSS (right).
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Amanda Freeman and Liz McAloon.
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Stancea Vichie MSS and Judy Cain.
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Liz McAloon speaks at the High Tea.
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Stancea Vichie shares the story of JWF and H&B.
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Former executive officer, Jane Collopy, receives flowers from Stancea Vichie MSS.
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Guests at the High Tea at University of Divinity, Box Hill.
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Guests at the High Tea.
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Stancea Vichie MSS and Bernadette Wallis MSS.
