History of The Catholic Church

  • first catholic church

    first catholic church
    A lay couple Mary and Michel Burke established the first catholic school funded entirely by collected from local catholic settlers. the school was located not far from where the St Stephens cathedral church stands today.
  • First Pernament Church

    First Pernament  Church
    The settlement had its first permanent church St Stephens 10 years on St Stephens was proclaimed the cathedral of the dioceses.
  • Opening Of Our First Catholic Secondary School

    Opening Of Our First Catholic Secondary School
    Bishop James Quinn, five priests and six Irish sisters of mercy made there way to Brisbane aboard the Yarra Yarra. Mother vinvent Witty and the sisters of Mercy our first secondary school all Hallows.
  • Saint James college boys school

    Saint James college boys school
    This and James school was established staffed entirely by lay teachers it was a unique model with both religious and lay student teachers receiving training before and after school and working in classes.
  • Time of Growth

    Time of Growth
    It was a time of growth on the back of the divide between the Irish catholic and the English Protestants came a push to keep church and state separate. Laws were passed to provide free compulsory and secular education. By the end of the decade there were 35 catholic schools fully funded.
  • New Arch Bishop Robert Done

    New Arch Bishop Robert Done
    The New archdiocese of Brisbane a new arch bishop Robert Done along with technology and Australian women now able to vote, the horrors and disruptions of WW1 and had big implications for catholic education. Catholic schools continued to be self funded and it would be another half centaury before catholic could access any Government funding.
  • Archbishop James Chui

    Archbishop James Chui
    Following the death of Archbishop Dune. Archbishop James Chui a visionary spirit could see the growing need for catholic schooling. He invested large tracks of land around Brisbane and by 1930 they had established 28 new schools.
  • the great depression

    the great depression
    After WW2 Australia suffered the challenges of wide spread poverty and unemployment. while there was a lack of teachers and class sizes and economic challenges but catholic education grew stronger through these hard times. 19 new schools were opened despite this period.
  • Catholic schools get Government funding.

    Catholic schools get Government funding.
    After being told by Government inspectors that they had to install 3 new toilets at Our Lady Of Mercy prep school. Goldman's bishop John Cullinane said they had no money after calling a meeting with the catholic parents they voted to strike resulting with a thousand children to go to state school education. As a result for the first time the federal Government provided grants to catholic education.
  • McCauley college

    McCauley college
    McCauley college opens its doors in 1973 to include lay teachers as catholic schools have become more reliant on laid leadership and staff. with 43 thousand students enrolled and 113 in schools across the archdiocese.