Catholic Church in Australia

By Jackson Dalrymple
  • Period: to

    Growth and development for the Church

  • First Fleet arrived

    The first fleet mainly consisted of Christians who came from the British Isles.

  • The beginnings of Catholic Education

    Two schools were established in 1792 for the officers and children of convicts. The first Catholic school opened between 1803 and 1806.

  • Richard Johnson

    Richard Johnson used his own funds to build a Church for the colony, which was opened in 1793. It was burned to the ground in 1798 and in 1800 Johnson returned to England.

  • James Dixon

    Fr James Dixon arrived in the colony as a convict in 1800.

  • First Mass in Australia

    The first recorded Mass in Australia was celebrated on the 15th May 1803.

  • Irish Uprising

    The Irish rallied at Castle Hill and were then fired upon by troops. As a result Catholic worship was banned. Father Dixon returned to Ireland in 1808.

  • Jeremiah O’Flynn

    In 1817 another Catholic priest arrived named Jeremiah O’Flynn.

  • James Quinn

    James Quinn, the first Bishop of Queensland, arrived in 1861.