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Mary Reiby
Mary Reiby is one of the most famous early convict women in the colony of New South Wales. A convicted horsethief, Mary went on to run an extensive importing and mercantile business and there are numerous references to her business dealings, liquor licences, land grants and purchases throughout the State archives. -
St John’s (Tasmania)
St Johns Church, is an Anglican church in Launceston, Tasmania and the oldest church in the city having started construction in 1824 -
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Formative Years
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Church Acts
Governor Berk gave pounds to the catholic church to build schools. -
Sisters of Charity
Mary Aikenhead founded the Sisters of Charity as the first unenclosed religious women in Ireland. Their institutions cared for the sick and poor and welcomed all creeds. ... Many of the subsequent hospitals opened by the Sisters were named in honour of this saint who dedicated himself to serving the poor. -
Caroline Chisholm
Caroline Chisholm looked after young woman that came to Australia. Caroline Chisholm worked on improving conditions on the ships and arranged for the families of convicts to be transported free to Australia so they could be reunited with their loved ones. -
Christian Brothers
The Brothers also conduct orphanages and schools for the poor, primary and secondary level schools, university colleges and colleges of education, schools for the deaf and for the blind, technical schools and agricultural colleges. -
St Patrick’s (South Aust)
St Patrick's Catholic Church is the oldest remaining Catholic church in Sydney, opening to its congregation in 1844. The church was built on land donated by Catholic emancipist William Davis, who was transported to Sydney in 1800 for his part in the Irish uprising of 1798. -
St John’s Pro Cathedral (West Aust)
St John's Pro Cathedral was the principal place of worship for the Roman Catholic community in Perth from 1844 until 1865. Upon its completion in 1865 the Gothic-style St Mary's Cathedral replaced St John's as Perth's Catholic cathedral. -
St Francis’ Church (Victoria)
St Francis church is the first church in Victoria. -
Sisters of Mercy
The Sisters of Mercy went on to found convents, schools and hospitals across the globe. They arrived in Australia in 1846, led by Mother Ursula Frayne. The Australian congregation established schools and convents around the country and opened their first hospitals in Brisbane and Sydney. -
Old St Stephen’s Church (Queensland)
St Johns Church, is an Anglican church in Launceston, Tasmania and the oldest church in the city having started construction in 1824 -
Gold Rushes
The first gold rush in Australia began in May 1851 after prospector Edward Hargraves claimed to have discovered payable gold near Orange, at a site he called Ophir. During the Australian gold rushes, starting in 1851, significant numbers of workers moved from elsewhere in Australia and overseas to where gold had been discovered. -
Society of St Vincent de Paul
The St Vincent de Paul Society is a Catholic organisation that aspires to live the gospel message by serving Christ in the poor with love, respect, justice, hope and joy, and by working to shape a more just society. -
Fr Julian Tenison Woods
Julian was a gifted missionary priest, scientist, writer, musician and popular lecturer. As a lifelong student of geology, palaeontology and zoology, Julian shared Mary's commitment to education for the poor. London-born Julian arrived in Tasmania in 1855, aged 23. -
Good Samaritan Sisters
The Sisters of the Good Samaritan hold a unique place in history being the first women's religious congregation to be founded in Australia. Established in 1857 by the Archbishop of Sydney, John Bede Polding, the Good Samaritan Sisters began to care for the poor and destitute of the early colony. -
Presentation Sisters
The Presentation Sisters' mission is to help the poor and needy around the world. Historically, the Sisters focused their energies on creating and staffing schools that would educate young people, especially young ladies. Most of these schools are still in operation and can be found across the globe. -
Establishment of the Sisters of St Joseph
It was a shelter for neglected and destitute children, old women and vulnerable young girls and also was a Novitiate, for training nuns and the Provincialate office. When Sister Mary MacKillop was expelled from the Adelaide Diocese in 1883 she went to Sydney. -
Sectarian violence at Duke of Edinburgh visit
There was an assassination attempt on Prince Alfred, and, apparently, the cause of the attempt was underlying sectarian violence. Irishman William James O'Farrell tried to shoot and kill the Prince, but he missed and was shortly arrested afterwards. -
Mary Mackillop
Mary and the Josephite nuns set up schools in Australia and New Zealand. They also set up houses for elderly women, young girls and women without jobs. They gave their life to people in need often giving comfort to the sick and dying and even visiting people in jail to give them whatever help they could
