Establishment of Christianity in Australia

1. 1788

1.1. Arrival of the First Fleet

1.2. About 1/3 of the convicts were Catholic. Most were Anglicans.

1.3. Reverend Richard Johnson (1753-1827) was the first chaplain He arrived with the First Fleet

2. 1788-1981

2.1. Anglican Church in Australia was called the Church of England in Australia

3. 1792 & 1796

3.1. Petitions for a Catholic Priest were ignored by the British colonial authorities

4. 1803

4.1. The earliest recorded Catholic Mass was celebrated by the Irish Priest Father James Dixon (1758-1840)

4.2. He had been transported for allegedly encouraging the Irish Rebellion of 1798

5. 1804

5.1. Father Dixon lost his official permission to celebrate Mass in public because he was suspected of complicity in the convict uprising at Castle Hill.

5.2. All Catholic convicts were again compelled to attend Anglican services

6. 1809

6.1. The Ebenezer Presbyterian Church was built on the banks of the Hawkesbury River, under the leadership of a layman, James Mein.

7. 1810

7.1. Australia’s first group of Congregationalists met and conducted services in the schoolroom of William Pascoe Crook.

8. 1812

8.1. Methodist meetings started

9. 1815

9.1. The Methodist Reverend Samuel Leigh arrived from the British Wesleyan Methodist Conference to conduct services.

10. 1818

10.1. The Church and State were formally recognised as separate and independent institutions within the colony

11. 1820

11.1. Catholic Priests were allowed to settle and conduct services in the colony

11.2. Fathers John Therry and Philip Connolly arrived in Sydney

11.3. Connolly then went to Hobart

12. 1820 & 1821

12.1. A Methodist Church was established in Hobart (1820)

12.2. A Methodist Church was established in Sydney (1821)

13. 1823

13.1. The Presbyterian Reverend Lang arrived in Sydney and Reverend Macarthur arrived in Hobart.

14. 1824

14.1. The first Presbyterian communion service was celebrated in the Ebenezer Church.

14.2. It remains the oldest Australian church still in use today.

15. Prior to 1834

15.1. Australian Catholics were under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Mauritius

16. 1838

16.1. The Lutherans first arrive from Germany and set up in Queensland and South Australia

17. 1839-1841

17.1. Baptist Church is established in: Launceston (1839), Adelaide (1840) Melbourne (1841)

18. 1851

18.1. Missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) arrived in Sydney.

18.2. Within a few short years there were Mormon missions in all colonies.

19. 1880

19.1. Local people in Adelaide formed the first Salvation Army Corps

19.2. Public instruction act introduced - compulsory for 6-14 year olds to attend school. NO religious education was permitted.

20. 1896

20.1. The First Greek Orthodox priest arrived from Samos to conduct services in Melbourne and Sydney

21. 1898

21.1. First Christian Scientist service in Australia was held at Melbourne.

21.2. The first Orthodox Church was built in Surry Hills (NSW), by Greek and Lebanese Christians, with assistance from Church of England clergy.

22. 1834

22.1. Authority over Australian Catholics was given to Bishop Bede Polding, based in Sydney

22.2. The Baptist Church is established in Sydney

23. 1850

23.1. Sydney saw the establishment of the first Unitarian Group.

24. 1885

24.1. The first Australian Cardinal was appointed in Sydney and he became the head of the Catholic Church in Australia.

24.2. Some Seventh-Day Adventists came to Melbourne from the USA.

25. 1901

25.1. Prohibited all those who failed to pass a dictation test in a English.

26. 1904

26.1. The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (Jehovah’s Witnesses) set up its first branch in Melbourne.