One of these pioneering women was Ursula Frayne who brought with her the vision of Catherine that they should be living witnesses of God's mercy in a new world.

The Sisters of Mercy continue to provide education, health care, social services and ministries across 43 countries today.

The Parish Priest, Rev A Hennessy bought a property of 33 acres and on 15 November 1896, the foundation stone of the convent and the boarding school was laid.

At that time, this new building marked the last stage of the development of Mount Lilydale Catholic Girls’ College, which, in 1974, boasted 339 secondary and 95 primary students, including 21 boarders.

Mount Lilydale Mercy College offers the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) to students at Year 11 and 12 Level.

Mount Lilydale Mercy College offers an extensive range of VCE subjects, almost all of which are run each year due to the large size of the school.

The Victorian Certificate of Applied iLearning (VCAL) is offered to Year 11 and 12 Students at the Intermediate and Senior Level.

In 2022, a media student's film featuring LGBTQ themes and imagery was denied from being shown at an exhibition meant to take place in October 2022.

In January 2023, the school experienced a large data breach in which up to 400 credit card numbers were stolen by "third party hackers".