History of Catholic Education in Australia

By Luca D'Ettorre
  • Arrival of the First Fleet

    Arrival of the First Fleet

    Catholic convicts arrive in Australia, but Anglicanism is the dominant religion.
  • First Catholic Mass in Australia

    First Catholic Mass in Australia

    Fr. James Dixon conducts the first officially sanctioned Catholic Mass.
  • Arrival of First Official Catholic Priests

    Arrival of First Official Catholic Priests

    Fr. John Therry and Fr. Philip Conolly arrive to establish Catholic ministry. The first Catholic school was founded by Fr. Therry in Parramatta.
  • First Catholic School Established

    First Catholic School Established

    Fr. John Therry establishes the first Catholic school in Parramatta.
  • First Catholic Bishop Appointed

    First Catholic Bishop Appointed

    John Bede Polding becomes the first Catholic Bishop of Australia.

  • State Funding for Religious Schools Ends (Victoria)

    Catholic schools lose government funding, relying on church support.

  • Education Act Passed (NSW)

    Free, compulsory, and secular education becomes law, cutting government funding for Catholic schools.

  • Goulburn Catholic School Strike

    Catholic schools protest lack of funding, leading to major education reforms.

  • Federal Government Restores Catholic School Funding

    Government support returns, securing the future of Catholic education.

  • Transition to Lay Teachers

    Decline in religious vocations leads to more lay teachers in Catholic schools.

  • Catholic Schools Continue to Thrive

    Over 1,750 Catholic schools educate more than 760,000 students in Australia.