Australia's Religious History

By harrymcnaught

  • First Fleet

    The First Fleet of ships to carry convicts from England to Botany Bay sailed from Portsmouth, England.

  • First School in Australia

    As the number of children in the colony grew, two schools were established - one for the children of military and one for the children of convicts. But in 1803-1806 the first Catholic School was opened.

  • First Church Opened

    When the government refused to provide Reverend Richard Johnson (an Anglican, first chaplain assigned to the first fleet) with a church he used his own funds o build the first church in Australia.

  • First Recorded Catholic Mass

    Was celebrated by the convict priest Father James Dixon in Sydney

  • Castle Hill Rebellion

    300 Irish convicts armed with spears and rifles rallied at Castle Hill crying 'death or liberty'.

  • First Government Approved Priest

    Two Catholic priests, Fathers John Therry and Phillip Conolly

  • The Catholic Emancipation Act

    The English Parliament passed the Catholic Emancipation Act, which gave Catholics the same political rights as Protestants and the right to hold public office

  • The Church Act

    The government passed the Church Act, which provides funding, in the form of subsidies, for buildings and salary for clergy, for all main Christian Denominations.

  • State Aid to Church Schools was Abolished

    The government abolished funding for Church schools and said they have to send them to Government schools or fund their own.

  • 2000 Brothers & Sisters

    there was approximately 2000 brothers & sisters of the church in Australia