Mother of Good Counsel is a parish based, urban school, situated in the North of Cairns. The school was founded in 1936 when Fr Phelan, an Augustinian priest, foresaw the need of priority for the Catholic families in the local area to have available some form of formal religious and educational instruction. A two storey cement Church-School was erected. The school was located on the lower floor consisting of four classrooms. Under the care of the Sisters of Mercy the school began on 16 April, 1936 with nineteen children enrolled on the first day.
By 1969 many more classrooms had been built and the school had an enrolment of 250 students. In 1976 the convent was closed and the first lay principal was appointed. In 1986 the Marist Brothers took charge of the school and served the local community until 1990.
Historically, the school has served the residential suburbs of North Cairns, Edge Hill and Whitfield, but with the development of new schools in the Northern Beaches area and the southern corridor of Cairns, the demographics have changed and families have moved away from the area. Mother of Good Counsel now has a large catchment area due to the situation of the school on the outskirts of the city, making it a convenient location for parents traveling to work. Many parents work in hospitality, administration, airport services and the medical profession with the hospital nearby. The school population is culturally diverse and has a wide socio-economic mix.
