History of the Church in Australia Timeline Key Event - Issue - People

  • 1872 BCE

    1872

    Mary Mackillop is recommunicated into the church and the sister permitted to continue their work
  • 1788

    La Perouse enters Botany Bay and his chaplain, Abbe Mones, celebrates the first
    Mass within Australian territory
  • 1791

    First Irish convicts transported to Botany Bay
  • 1803

    First official public mass
  • 1819

    Father John Therry and father Philip Connolly arrive in Sydney as Australias first ever priests
  • 1825

    Father Therry was removed from his role as the colony's official Chaplin
  • 1826

    Father Daniel Power lands in Sydney to replace Father Therry.
  • 1830

    Fr. power dies
  • 1832

    Fr John McCecroe appointed the offical chaplain of Australia.
  • 1833

    St mary’s Chapel completed
  • 1845

    Fr. John Brady, consecrated as bishop of Perth moves to Windsor to Western Australia
  • 1851

    St Mary Cathedral renovated archdiocese now has 33 parishes, 30 churches, and 35 priests
  • 1859

    Father James Quinn becomes first bishop of brisbane
  • 1862

    The NSW government passes a bill to abolish state aid to religion
  • 1865

    fire destroyed st. marys cathedrals
  • 1866

    Mary MacKillop and Father Julian Tenison woods found the sisters of st. joseph
  • 1871

    Mary Mackillop was excommunicated by the bishop of Adelaide because she was thought to have incited her sisters to disobedience and defiance
  • 1911

    The archdiocese now has 189 churches in Sydney 170,000 Catholics and more than 25,000 kids are enrolled at archdiocese schools, cardinal moran dies