After facing closure a couple of years ago, the ‘house full’ sign has gone up at MacKillop College’s boarding facilities at Perthville.

It’s a far cry from the dire situation which was facing the establishment in 2007 as it looked to become another victim of the drought.

Now under the ownership of MacKillop College and the Catholic Education Office (CEO), the college has very limited vacancies,with 66 students currently in residence.

Director of Boarding Vicki Evans said the college has come a long way since its board and the Sisters of St Joseph’s leadership team made the tough decision to call it a day.

“We’re booming,” Ms Evans said. “The drought has ended and we are the only all-girls’ boarding school west of the Blue Mountains ... it’s good for people to know that we are up and running and viable.”

Ms Evans said the college has a long waiting list for some year groups. The number of boarding students in Year Nine has doubled since last year; from six boarders in 2010 to 14 this year.

The college’s boarders hail from rural communities across the state, including Condobolin, Boorowa, Nyngan, Cobar and Mudgee.

Ms Evans said increased promotion of the college had contributed to the remarkable turnaround.

“We’ve really been out there,” she said.

Representatives from the college attend various expos across the state, including the Nyngan Ag Expo and the Mudgee Small Farm Field Days.

They also hold boarding dinners in small rural communities such as Trangie.

The college was thrown a lifeline by The Scots School in December 2007, after the drought and the demise of rural communities in the college’s catchment area west of Dubbo caused enrolments to dwindle.

Scots offered to accommodate MacKillop boarders from the beginning of the 2009 school year.

However the CEO announced in June 2008 that secondary boarding for girls would continue at St Joseph’s under the management and conduct of MacKillop College.