The Early Church years by Lachlan By ceichy 50,000 BCE Aboriginal people lived in Australia and believed they were created by the dreaming Jan 26, 1788 The First Fleet arrived in Australia The first fleet arrived with 11 ships and 1 000 people perhaps Feb 3, 1788 Reverend Richard Johnson made the church of England first mass 1792 5 men asked for a catholic priest 1793 The first St Philip Anglican church was built 1796 petition for a priest 1798 then the convicts burned down the church and the catholic priest were told not to come again 1798 From 1798-1803 Many Irish sent to Australia 1800 From 1800-1801 Fr Harold, Dixon and O'Neil arrived and was not allowed to celebrate mass publicly 1802 O'Neill went back to Ireland 1803 First Catholic mass Apr 24, 1803 they were allowed to celebrate mass publicly 1804 Fr Dixon had no masses but had to perform baptism and marriage 1809 Fr Dixon left then there was no priest 1810 Fr Harold left 1817 Then Jeremiah O'Flynn came