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1802 Foundation of Christian Brothers
An 18th century lay businessman founded the Congregation of Christian Brothers in 1802 in Waterford, Ireland to educate the poor. He was particularly concerned with the plight of Catholics who had been excluded from education because of the penal laws in force at the time. -
1821 Construction of first Catholic church at Richmond, Tasmania
The church was made possible by Australia’s first catholic archbishop, John Bede Polding, who visited Tasmania on his way to a position in Sydney. Polding visited the Richmond catholics who used to gather at the home of John Cassidy, who owned land slightly north-east of the village centre called Woodburn. -
1841 New Zealand Becomes A British Colony
In 1840 Britain made New Zealand initially a dependency of New South Wales, and at the end of that year it became a separate colony. As a colony, it adopted institutions of government and political practices from the mother country. -
1853 Establishment of the University of Melbourne
Founded in 1853 by an Act of the Victorian Parliament, the University of Melbourne is a thriving internationally acknowledged research University. The original campus was set in a large area north of Grattan Street. Melbourne in the 1850s was a small colonial city but its civic leaders had a vision of its future. -
1880 Death of Ned Kelly
Ned Kelly was an Australian bushranger, outlaw, gang leader and convicted police murderer. One of the last bushrangers, and by far the most famous, he is best known for wearing a suit of bulletproof armor during his final shootout with the police. -
1914 Beginning of First World War
World War I, also known as the First World War or the Great War, was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. -
1930 Phar Lap Wins The Melbourne Cup
In the four years of his racing career, Phar Lap won 37 of 51 races he entered, including the Melbourne Cup, being ridden by Jim Pike, in 1930 with 9 st 12 lb (138 pounds (63 kg)). In that year and 1931, he won 14 races in a row. -
1939 Beginning of World War II
World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. -
1940 Norman Thomas Gilroy becomes Archbishop of Sydney
He became the Coadjutor Archbishop of Sydney (with a right to succession) in July 1937 – replacing the Irish-born Michael Sheehan (who was effectively sacked). Following the death of the Irish-born Archbishop Michael Kelly in March 1940, Gilroy became Archbishop of Sydney at age 44. -
1956 Olympic Games, Melbourne
The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event that was held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which were held in Stockholm, Sweden in June 1956. -
1963 Death of Archbishop Mannix
Daniel Patrick Mannix was an Irish-born Catholic bishop. Mannix was the Archbishop of Melbourne for 46 years and one of the most influential public figures in 20th-century Australia -
1991 Foundation of the Australian Catholic University
Australian Catholic University (ACU) was opened on 1 January 1991 following the amalgamation of four Catholic tertiary institutions in eastern Australia: Catholic College of Education Sydney in New South Wales. Institute of Catholic Education in Victoria. -
1996 Appointment of Dr. George Pell as Archbishop of Melbourne
Pell was named seventh Archbishop of Melbourne on 16 July 1996, receiving the pallium from Pope John Paul II on 29 June 1997. He was later appointed eighth Archbishop of Sydney on 26 March 2001 and again received the pallium from John Paul on 29 June 2001. -
1998 Death of Bob Santamaria
Bartholomew Augustine Santamaria, usually known as B. A. Santamaria, was an Australian Roman Catholic anti-Communist political activist and journalist. He was a guiding influence in the founding of the Democratic Labor Party. -
2000 Opening Of Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi College is the regional seminary of the Roman Catholic dioceses in Victoria and Tasmania, Australia. The seminary is administered by a board of episcopal trustees comprising the archbishops of Melbourne and Hobart, the bishops of Ballarat, Sandhurst and Sale, and the auxiliary bishops of Melbourne.
