THE DIOCESAN INSTITUTE OF THE SISTERS OF ST JOSEPH DATES ITS FOUNDATION FROM 1872 WHEN BLESSED MOTHER MARY OF THE CROSS (MARY MACKILLOP) AND FATHER JULIEN TENISON WOODS ESTABLISHED A CONVENT OF THE SISTERS OF ST JOSEPH AT PERTHVILLE AT THE INVITATION OF BISHOP MATTHEW QUINN. WITHIN THREE YEARS HOWEVER DISAGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE BISHOP WHO WISHED A DIOCESAN ORDER UNDER HIS AUTHORITY AND MOTHER MARY LED TO A SEPARATION WITH THE DIOCESAN INSTITUTE BEING FORMALLY ESTABLISHED WITH THE APPOINTMENT OF SISTER HYACINTH QUINLAN AS SISTER-GUARDIAN. WHILE BISHOP QUINN CANNOT BE CONSIDERED A FOUNDER, HIS INFLUENCE ON THE INSTITUTE AND ITS FUTURE DIRECTIONS WAS CONSIDERABLE AND THE SEPARATION WHILE A PAINFUL EXPERIENCE FOR MANY ULTIMATELY LED TO THE SPECIFIC CHARISM OF THE DIOCESAN JOSEPHITES. IN DUE COURSE A BLACK HABIT WAS ADOPTED IN CONTRAST TO THE BROWN HABIT OF MOTHER MARY'S SISTERS BY WHICH THEY BECAME KNOWN AFFECTIONATELY AS THE "BLACK JOEYS". THE WORK OF THE SISTERS WAS PRIMARILY IN EDUCATION BUT THEY ALSO PROVIDED VISITATIONS TO THE SICK AND RELIEF FOR THE POOR. THEY WERE SPECIFICALLY INTENDED BY BISHOP QUINN TO BE MORE FLEXIBLE THAN TRADITIONAL ORDERS, GOING WHERE NEEDED, STAYING AS LONG AS NEEDED AND MOVING ON WHEN NO LONGER NEEDED. IN PARTICULAR HE SAW THE SISTERS AS FILLING A GAP WHERE NO PRIEST WAS AVAILABLE TO MINISTER REGULARLY TO THE FAITHFUL. AS A RESULT MANY OF THEIR FOUNDATIONS WERE TEMPORARY ALTHOUGH IN TIME THEY, ALONG WITH AUSTRALIA ITSELF, BECAME MORE SETTLED. IN 1966 THE FIVE EXISTING DIOCESAN CONGREGATIONS CAME TOGETHER IN THE AUSTRALIAN-NEW ZEALAND FEDERATION OF THE SISTERS OF ST JOSEPH.