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Mary and Michael Burke established the first Catholic Church in Australia that was funded entirely by money. The church was not very far from the St Stephen's Chapel stands today.
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Settlement had its first permanent church, St Stevens. Almost 10 years on, St Stevens was proclaimed the cathedral of the Diocese after officially separating from New South Wales to become known as the colony of Queensland.
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Bishop James Quinn, five priests and six Irish Sisters of Mercy made their way to Brisbane aboard the Yarra Era. Bishop Quinn was shocked by the poverty of the Irish population and he was then dedicated to raising the economic and social status of Catholics through education. Mother Vincent Witty and the Sisters of Mercy then established the first Catholic Secondary School, All Hallows.
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James School for boys was established and was staffed entirely by lay teachers. The staffing was a unique model with both religious and lay student teachers receiving their training before and after school hours and working as apprentices during the day. It would be almost 100 years before a dedicated Teachers Training was established. Macauley College at the All Hallows campus.
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A push came to keep church and state separate on the back of the divide of the Catholic and English Protestants.
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Catholic education suffered through the Great Depression and the end of WW2.
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Australia suffered widespread poverty and unemployment as Catholic Education suffered as well.
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Catholic Education continued to struggle with the demands of its mission throughout the post-war boom.
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Major changes occurred nationwide in school funding after the Goulburn school strike.
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Goldman's Bishop John Cullinane said that there was no money to install the toilets.
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Macauley College opened its doors to include lay teachers.
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Brisbane Catholic Education met the expanding demands our contemporary education community.
