The first public school was built in Princess Mary St. in 1861. This school had 51 students. Later it burnt down and a new one was built next door in 1877. It was then the South Creek Public School. Because the industries had started and many families had moved to South Creek, the number of children at the school grew - 225 in 1885 - 289 in 1890. The name of the township changed officially in 1885 and the school and Railway Station changed their names from South Creek to St. Marys.
The composer of our National Anthem "Advance Australia Fair", Peter Dodds McCormack, was a teacher at South Creek School in 1863.
My grandmother and great grandmother and their brothers and sisters all attended St. Marys Public School.