time line for the Catholic Church of Australia

By dooda
  • Period: to

    time

  • Arrival of First Fleet

    Arrival of the first fleet at Sydney Cove, British settlement. It became possible first mass celebrated on Australian soil by Fr Receveur.Irish convicts arrive in Australia aboard the First Fleet

  • First Celebrated Mass

    Governor Macquarie allows Father Dixon to celebrate a public mass for the first time in the country's history

  • Emancipations of Catholics in England

  • Australia's First Bishop

    Pope Gregory XVI appoints Fr Brfr Polding OSB as Australia's first Catholic bishop

  • Five Sisters of Charity arrive in Sydney

    Five Sisters of Charity arrive in Sydney with a mission to help the poor and disadvantaged in response to a request from Archbishop Polding for a community of sisters in the colony. English-born philanthropist Caroline Chisholm also arrives in Sydney as does a large contingent of secular Irish clergy including Fr John Brady who is appointed to Windsor with a parish that extends from Penrith to the Hawkesbury and Broken Bay.

  • St Mary's Cathedral is modified to the designs of renowned British architect

    The Archdiocese now has 33 parishes, 30 churches and 35 priests who minister to 55,000 Catholics, most of whom are either Irish born or of Irish descent.

  • Mary MacKillop and Fr Julian Tenison Woods found the Sisters of St. Joseph

    Daniel Murphy appointed second Archbishop of Hobart A temporary St Mary's Cathedral begins construction until a brandnew cathedral can be built

  • First St Vincent de Paul Society

    First St Vincent de Paul Society established in Sydney. Marist Brothers found St Joseph's College, a boarding school for boys, at Hunter's Hill

  • Irish-born Michael Kelly is proconized

    Irish-born Michael Kelly is proconized coadjutor archbishop with right of succession to Cardinal Moran

  • Catholics become influential in the Australian Labor Party

    Catholics become influential in the Australian Labor Party with the rise of figures such as Ben Chiffley and James Scullin. St Patrick's College seminary at Manly celebrates its Silver Jubilee.