Religion in Australia Pre 1945- Arrival & Establishment of Christianity, Islam and Judaism
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Christianity
Richard Johnson sails with the First Fleet after being appointed the Church of England chaplain in the prison colony. -
Islam
Before the arrival of the First Fleet there is evidence of Muslims in Australian through Aboriginal cave paintings of Muslim fishing boats and graves facing Mecca. Small number arrived on convict ships but Muslim Fisherman from Indonesia came to Australian coasts in search for sea slugs or cucumbers.Some of the Makassans (Indonesian fisherman) stayed and married aboriginal women beginning their cultural legacy. -
Judaism
The first Jews arrived on the First Fleet as convicts resulting in Judaism being the the second religion to be established in Australia. -
Christianity
The first open air Christian church service is held at Sydney Cove. -
Christianity
The colony opens its first church. -
Christianity
The first Presbyterian church service conducted by Thomas Muir who was among Scottish rebels transported in 1794. -
Christianity
Political uprising in Ireland leading to the deportation of prisoners to Australia including three Catholic priests who are Fathers Harold, Dixon and O’Neil. -
Christianity
James Fleet Cover the English missionary arrives in Australia. -
Christianity
The first catholic mass by Father Dixon in concession to Irish Catholics. -
Christianity
The Castle Hill rebellion where the permission for Catholic mass was withdrawn because the government feared the priests would use the occasion to incite opposition against the British. -
Christianity
The first Methodist minister Samuel Leigh arrived, establishing the first Methodist circuit with 14 preaching places. -
Judaism
Organised jewish life began in → Joseph Marcus a former convict founded the Jewish burial site. Rites were performed by Marcus until 1825. -
Judaism
The first minyan which is a quorum of 10 Jewish men, was formed. This along with the establishment of the Jewish Burial society, Chevra Kadisha, became recognised as the formal beginnings of the Jewish community. -
Judaism
First group of free Jewish settlers arrived. -
Judaism
100 jews in the new colony. -
Christianity
William Grant Broughton arrived as the Church of England Archdeacon. -
Judaism
Aaron Levy became the first Rabbi in Australia. -
Period: to
Judaism
During the 1830s services were being held regularly in homes such as that of Philip Joseph Cohen who was also authorised to perform Jewish marriages. This is generally regarded as the first Jewish synagogue and was mainly accepted by the wider Australian community because they spoke English unlike most European Jews. -
Christianity
The First catholic bishop, Bede Polding, arrives to Australia. -
Judaism
The first official synagogue was opened in Bridge St, Sydney with a capacity to seat 100 males and 30 females. -
Judaism
1083 jews in Australia. -
Judaism
A permanent synagogue was consecrated in York St, Sydney which could hold 500 people. -
Period: to
Judaism
During the 1840s Judaism spread across Australia and as a result synagogues were established in:
Tasmania in 1845
Victoria in 1848 after the first congregation was formed in 1843
South Australia in 1850
Queensland in 1878
Western Australia in 1897. -
Judaism
During the gold rush of the 1850s the number of Jews in Victoria expanded from a couple of hundreds to over 3000 adherents. Gold rush immigrants were involved in trading the precious metal and setting up stores along mining routes. -
Islam
The first significant report of Muslim arrival was recorded in the 1860s for the arrival of cameleers from Afghanistan. Camels were used for transportation of goods throughout desert areas because they could withstand large periods of time without water but later became a pest. -
Judaism
5486 Jews in Australia. -
Islam
The first mosque is built in Marree South Australia. -
Christianity
The convict population -
Islam
Muslim Malay divers were recruited to work in the pear trade in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. -
Islam
The Muslim population grew to 1800. -
Judaism
Persecuted Jews escaped Russia and Poland settling in Australia. -
Islam
Migration is affected by the introduction of the White Australia Policy. -
Islam
By the 1920s there was approxiametly 2000 Afghan cameleers but only 100 families. -
Period: to
Islam
Following the effects of the White Australia Policy Albanian Muslims managed to enter Australia because they had a fairer Albanian complexion. -
Judaism
Hitler assumed power in Germany resulting in an influx of Jews arriving in Australia. The immigration of Jews was small before World War One but even after the war the percentage of Jews in the Australian population remained small. -
Judaism
Australian government allocated 15,000 visas for victims of oppression and by 1939 7,000 had been distributed.
