Contribution of Christianity to rural and outback communities, education and public morality
-
Public Morality
The Sunday Observance Act was adopted from the influence of England and included the restrictions of entertainment on a Sunday. The observance of the Sabbath was influential in this act and was enforced to improve moral character of convicts. -
Education
The colony had a mainstream school for the children of convicts and a second school for children of soldiers. There was also three Catholic schools. -
Period: to
Education
Father John Therry established two Catholic schools in Parramatta and Sydney. -
Education
Church and School Corporation Act of 1826. The Act assigned colonial land grants to Church of England schools and churches which was not appreciated by other Christian denominations. The Female School of Industry began to teach girls skills required to become housemaids and farm servants. -
Education
Catholic Relief Act 1829 which allowed Catholics to be members of parliament at Westminster further impacting on the English way of thinking because it removed the overpowering authority of the Church of England in Britain. This allowed the provision of aid for schools to other denominations in the colony. Catholics and Presbyterians were able to have the Church and School Corporation Act suspended due to religious inequality. -
Education
Began the development of a state education system began. 10 Catholic schools in the colony. -
Period: to
Education
Government money used for the running of church schools under the Church Act -
Public Morality
The Vagrancy Act of 1835 regarding prostitution and gambling. The Christian churches viewed the gaining of profit without honest labour was dishonourable. -
Education
Denominational schools funded through the Board of Denominational Education, and public schools funded and controlled by the Board of National Education. State govt. prefered a single system of national schools but Christian denominations especially Church of England and Catholic were opposed, believing the system would favour a religion and didn't want students to be influenced by other religions. Led govt. to create separated systems of public schools running alongside denominational ones. -
Public Morality
After the gold rush the number of pubs increased. While being a meeting place within the community, many wives and children would suffer as the men would spend much of their time drinking and then come home intoxicated. Christian movements wanted to put a stop to this believing that alcohol was responsible for behaviour contradicting the Christian teachings. This established the Temperance movement sponsored by Protestants to make men pledge to abstain from alcohol. -
Education
Victoria began the dual system of schools and funding framework similar to NSW but political received backlash to have a single system of schools. -
Period: to
Education
Catholic communities built schools in every parish. Struggled to fund their local schools because they were not receiving taxpayer money from the government. -
Education
Sisters of St. Joseph ran over 20 schools, orphanages and children’s refuges. The facilities developed by Sister Mary MacKillop was one of the most significant contribution to Catholic education in Australia. -
Education
NSW Public Instruction Act 1880. State school system began free and compulsory education. -
Public Morality
The Women’s Christian Temperance Union was launched to fight sexual exploitation of women. -
Public Morality
In order to prevent the sexual exploitation of girls and women the Social Purity Society passed a Protect of Young Persons Bill through parliament to raise the legal age of consent to sixteen. -
Rural and Outback Communities
Church of England Bush Brotherhood was established by Nathaniel Dawes. The group involved preachers travelling on horseback to provide ministry to those living in remote areas. The rules to live by included celibacy, living in poverty and obedience. They worked in pairs to keep each other company on their journeys, spoke to everyone they met and conducted church services, baptism, marriages and funerals at various locations including farms, bars, churches and huts. -
Public Morality
White Australia Policy restricted the migration of other religions and cultures meaning that the White population was able to grow and expand. -
Rural and Outback Communities
John Flynn convinced the Presbyterian Church to start the Australian Inland Mission after he travelled through the outback on missions and developed a deep compassion for settlers out there because they did not have access to decent medical services. This service provided information on elementary first aid. -
Rural and Outback Communities
After many years of the program running Flynn came to the realisation that the small outback population could not support the doctors which then led to the development of the Flying Doctor Service.