History and progression of religion in Australia

The first priests arrived in the colony

1800

The first priests arrived in the colony as convicts! One of these, James Dixon, was granted conditional emancipation and permission to say mass for the Catholics of Sydney on successive Sundays

First public Mass

May 15, 1803

In 1803 First public Mass said by Fr. Dixon

Formal establishment of the catholic church

May 17, 1820

When Dixon returned to Ireland mass was not legally celebrated again in the colony until fathers john joseph Therry and Phillip Connolly, chaplains appointed by the Government in London, arrived in 1820. Their arrived can be regarded as the formal establishment of the catholic church in Australia.

First Catholic newspaper/first mass in Melbourne

May 19, 1839

First Catholic newspaper Australasian Chronicle founded first published on 2 august 1839 it's stated aim was "to explain and holdup the civil and religious principles of the Catholics, and to maintain their rights first mass in Melbourne.

first catholic school

Jun 30, 1844

Roman Catholic Orphan School opened at Parramatta with the transfer of 113 orphans from Waverley

Good Samaritan Sisters

1857

John Bede Polding found Good Samaritan Sisters

St Mary’s Cathedral burns down

Jun 29, 1865

the first St Mary's Cathedral in College Street, Sydney was destroyed by fire. All that remained of the original buildings was the Pugin façade and bellower along with part of the north-east transept. The Cathedral was finally finished in 1928.

Wood and Sisters

1866

Father Julian Tension Woods and started sisters of St. Joseph

temporary St Mary’s Cathedral burns down again

1869

St Mary's Cathedral in College Street, Sydney was destroyed by fire again. All that remained of the original buildings was the Pugin façade and bell tower along with part of the north-east transept.

Thomas Carr appointed Archbishop of Melbourne

Jun 11, 1886

born near Moylough, Galway, Ireland, and educated at St Jarlath's College, Tuam, and at St Patrick's College, Maynooth. In 1874 he was elected to the vacant chair of theology and in 1880 he became vice-president of Maynooth and editor of the Irish Ecclesiastical Record, which he conducted with success. In 1883 he was made bishop of Galway, was on 26 August of that year, and three years later, almost to the day, was appointed Archbishop of Melbourne. He arrived in Melbourne on 11 June 1887.

Education act

1893

Education act removed state aid to catholic schools