St.Mary's church was founded in 1883 and it is now 135 years old as of 2018, the oldest church in Sandakan.The first church was created as a small wooden structure.Its history dates back to May 1883 when Monsignor T.Jackson, the prefect Apostolic of the Mill Hill, England, order of Missionary Priest, bought five acres of land on a hill to set up a mission. Together with Father Prenger, they built a temporary hut made of 'Kajang' and dedicated the mission to the Blessed Mother and named it St.Mary's Hill. Msgr T.Jackson then asked Father Pundleider to join Father Prenger in Sandakan( used to be called as British North Borneo) and together they opened St.Mary's school on July 24, 1883. The first school in North Borneo with its first pupils, five in all, housed in the kajang hut. By October on the same year, there was a proper hostel for the boys to stay in and a small church.