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FIRST CATHOLIC SCHOOL
The first catholic school was opened by lay couple: Mary and Michael Bourke. It was Fr James Hanly the hired the couple. The school had two teachers, 56 students and was entirely funded by catholic settlers. It stands near where the Myer Centre is on the corner of Elizabeth and Albert Street. At the time there was less than 1000 settlers and about a quarter were Roman Catholic. -
FIRST PERMANENT CHURCH
The first permanent church; St Stephens opened not far from the first catholic school after beginning building in 1848. At the time of it establishment it was one of the grandest buildings in the town. -
ST STEPHENS PROCLAIMED CATHEDRAL
St Stephens is proclaimed the cathedral of the diocese after Brisbane was claimed a diocese in 1859. However the larger section that is the cathedral today wasn't completed until 1874 and when this happened the older section became a school, then an office and then a store shed. -
NEW SCHOOL AND ARRIVAL
Mother Vincent Witty and The Sisters of Mercy opened the first secondary school after Fr James Quin, 5 Priest and the 6 Sisters of Mercy arrived in Brisbane, shipped in by the Donald Mackay, following the appointment of James Quin as the first Bishop in 1859. When he arrived Fr James was shocked to find such poverty, so he was committed to raise the social status through education. It was also Fr James Quin that invited Mary Mackillop and the Joseph Sisters to the diocese. -
ST JAMES ESTABLISHED
James was established in 1868 and was staffed entirely by lay and religious teachers. It was like this for the first 25 years after its establishment (fully staffed by lay and religious teachers). -
BREAK OF PROTESTANTS
After the break of the Irish, Catholic and English Protestants came a push to keep church and the state separate and in 1875 there were laws passed to have free and compulsory schooling. New laws to remove funding from all religious schools were passed. -
NEW ARCHBISHOP & ARCHDIOCESE
In 1887 the Archdiocese of Brisbane was established alongside a new Archbishop: Robert Dunne however when he died in 1919. Robert arrived in Brisbane in 1861 with Fr James Quin. Dunne was Archbishop for thirty years before his death in 1917.
James Duhig took his place as Archbishop of the diocese who would become the longest reigning Archbishop at the time of his death. He invested in land to build school and by 1930 had established over ten schools -
NEW ARCHBISHOP
James Duhig was appointed Archbishop after James Duhig died in 1917 (checked Wikipedia). When he took his place as Archbishop of the diocese he would become the longest reigning Archbishop at the time of his death (48 years). He invested in land to build school and by 1930 had established over ten schools. -
GOULBURN STRIKE
In 1962 a health inspector demanded two new toilets be installed at Our Lady’s of Mercy Prep. However, Goulburn’s Bishop at the time: John Cullinane said there was not enough money and then called a meeting with catholic parents who voted to strike. When this happened some of Goulbourn's catholic students were enrolled in local schools as a protest. Within 12 months later the Federal Government began giving grants to catholic schools. -
NEW ARCHBISHOP AND SCHOOLS
New Archbishop Patrick Mary O'Donnell was appointed after the death of James Duhig. Twelve new schools were established by the Queensland Catholic Education Commission. -
FIRST AUSTRALIAN ARCHBISHOP
The first Australian born Archbishop was appointed: Francis Rush.
He also opened extensions to St Francis Xavier during his time as Archbishop. -
NEW DIOCESAN DIRECTOR
Bernard O’Shea, the Diocesan Director of Catholic Education (appointed in 1943) was replaced by the first ever lay director Vince O’Rourke and with his arrival he brought prosperity to BCE, opened 19 new schools and he established many facilities that are still used today such as the BCE Office. -
ONE-ONE TECHNOLOGY PROMISE
In 2007 the Kevin Rudd Government promised that a Digital Education Revolution would be introduced (one-one technology). -
ECONOMIC STIMULAS
In 2008 the economic stimulus was an education building revolution for BCE: building many sites for schools. Also many ecumenical schools were established during this time. -
CATHOLIC EDUCATION TODAY
Today there is 72,00 thousands students, 139 catholic schools and 11,000 employees working to help educate students.
