The Franciscan Missionaries of Mary were first established in Australia in Brisbane, Queensland, in 1941, and worked primarily with Aboriginal people. In Queensland they took over the care of the Leprosarium on Fantome Island and the primary school on Palm Island, both Aboriginal settlements under Government control. They also ran the Xavier Home for Crippled Children and in 2014 ran the Xavier Children’s Support Network. In the Australian Capital Territory the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary ran Marymead Child and Family Centre.