History of the Church in Australia Timeline

By woode01

  • La Perouse enters Botany Bay and his chaplain, Abbe Mones, celebrates the first Mass within Australian territory

  • First Irish convicts transported to Botany Bay

  • First official public mass

  • Father John Terry and Father Phillip Conolly arrive in Sydney as Australia's first-ever priests.

  • Father John Brady consecrated as Bishop of Perth, moves from Windsor to Western Australia

  • St Mary’s Cathedral renovated. The archdiocese now has 33 parishes, 30 churches and 35 priests.

  • Father James Quinn becomes the first bishop of Brisbane

  • Mary Mackillop and Father Julian Tenison Woods found the Sisters of Saint Joseph

  • Archbishop Polding passes away at age 85

  • Mary Mackillop passes away

  • The archdiocese now has 189 churches. Of Sydney’s 170,000 Catholics, more than 25,000 kids are enrolled at archdiocese schools

  • World War one is declared, Catholics became more influential in Australia’s Labour party

  • James Scullin becomes Australia's first Catholic Prime Minister

  • Catholic schools are overwhelmed by the demand

  • Mass changes from Latin to English

  • The Archdiocese of Sydney now has 366 Catholic schools with over 115,704 children attending

  • Pope John Paul visits Australia for the first time

  • Pope Benedict XVI made his first visit to Australia when the Archdiocese of Sydney hosted World Youth Day.