The Irish Potato Famine, also known as the ‘Great Hunger’, started in 1845 when a fungus-like organism affected crops and spread rapidly throughout Ireland. The infestation had a catastrophic impact on Ireland and its population. Before it ended in 1852, the Potato Famine resulted in the death of ap …
John Bede Polding was an English Benedictine monk who became the first Catholic Bishop of Australia. He was concerned for the plight of the convicts. He was responsible for the emergence of the Good Samaritan Sisters, whose institute he founded in 1857. Read More …
Catholic schooling in Liverpool goes back to the early nineteenth century, when the area was a mission district in …
In 1838, Archbishop Polding opened this secondary school for boys on the present site next to the Cathedral. Today, …
On 15 May 1803, Fr James Dixon conducted the first Catholic Mass in New South Wales with vestments made from curtains and a chalice made of tin. The Mass was celebrated until 1804 when the Castle Hill rebellion alerted Governor King, who withdrew Fr Dixon’s privileges to celebrate Mass. Read More …
In 1800, the first Catholic priests arrived in Australia as convicts. These included James Harold, James Dixion and Peter O’Neil. Read more …
The first Catholics to be settled in Australia arrived with the First Fleet in 1788. The majority were Irish convicts, together with a few Royal Marines. Other nationalities that joined the First Fleet were either English or Scottish. Read more …
