Religious Traditions in Australia pre-1945 - quotes and egs

Arrival of Christianity - Overview of different religions and denominations

• Arrival in 1788 in Sydney Cove on the First Fleet, mostly Church of England and Presbyterian (and other Protestant denominations)

• Other - Catholic (half were Irish), conflicted with Anglicans/C of E due to English Reformation, Conquest of Ireland and the eradication of Catholocism in England, also Jews (15 people on First Fleet)

• By 1868 (end of transportation to Australia) convict population was - 70% English and Welsh convicts, mostly C of E or Protestant denominations, 5% Scottish (mostly Presbyterian), 24% Irish convicts (mostly Roman Catholic)

Arrival of Christianity - ‘The Early Years‘

• Reverend Richard Johnson was the first Chaplain of the Colony - Anglican (Minister of Church of England), from 1787 to 1800 (13 years), responsible for performing serves, sermons and rituals. Executions - redeemed souls, organised first church, Christian schools for chidlren, rehabilitate people/convicts

• 1791 - Order for Attendance at Church, increased conversions to Christanity as those who did not attend god reduced rations, aimed to rehabilitate convicts

• Reverend Samuel Marsden arrived in 1794 to assist him.

• First church was built in 1793, in Parramatta, which was funded by Johnson. Left frustrated at lack of support, Church burnt down.

• St Philip’s and St John’s parishes were established by 1800.

• First Catholic mass was celebrated by Father James Dixon in sydney in 1803.

• Robert Raikes founded the first Sunday School in England - encouraged attendance. Children of missionary families, the Hassals and the Marsdens established and taught at the first Sunday School in Sydeny.

• C of E worked with the State to maintan order and orgaise the education system - largest, and most recognised as British - was the established Church before the 1820s

• First NSW census in 1828 - only 19 people not Christian - were Jewish, Islamic (called Mohammedan and pagan) of 36 000

• Samuel Marsden established an orphanage and school in Sydney in 1801, missionary activies and organised the first Christian mission to the Maori and New Zealand

• Aboriginal spirituality was not recognised

Arrival of Christianity - Arrival of different ministers

• Methodist - Rev Walter Lowry

• Presbyterian - Rev John Dunmore Loang

• Baptist - Minister John McKaeg

• Roman Catholic - Fathers John Joseph Therry and Philip Connoly

Establishment of Christianity - After the first fleet

• Sectarian division - since the reformation in the 16th century, political and religious division between the English and the Irish

• Sabbath observance - Governor Philip insisted all must attend the C of E Divine Service, caused resentment, forced other denominations to worhsip in the C of E Church

• Religion, law and punishent - Ministers of C of E acted as magistrates, judged crimes of the colony, gave severe punishments. Second chaplain, Marsden - ‘floggin parson‘.

• Dominance of C of E - Largest and most influential, the Established Church, favour of government. Catholic Church was in dispute with English authorities, not permitted until 1820, Methodists and Presbyterians were also well established

Establishment of Christianity - The Church of England (Anglican)

• First 30 years - default, C of E ministers were mostly evangelical (‘Low’ church) in the early days

• All convicts were forced to attend Church

• Considered to be morally corrupt, a community of exiles

• Focus on Bible, Salvation, and personal and public morality

• Closely tied to political system of the colony

• The first Bishop of Sydney (and Australia) was Biship William Grant Broughton in 1836

• Not officially separated from England until 1962

• Local synods, council of Churches, existed until the Australian synod of 1872

• All Bishops until 1966 were from England

Establishment of Christianity - The Church of Scotland (Presbyterian)

• Were on first fleet

• Dominant protestant religion of Scotland

• Important early individuals were Presbyterians e.g. John Hunter, former minister

• Missionaries were sent to Australia to spread their faith

• 1901 - groups came together to from the Presbyterian Church of Australia

• Minister Rev William Hamilton wrote “I am continually shocked by the religious indifference of those among who I live”

Establishment of Christianity - The Church of Rome (Roman Catholic)

• First were Irish Catholic convicts

• Significant portion of convents, increased after the 1798 Irish rebellion

• Were often political prisoners

• Celebrated mass in secret using lay ministers, could only perform sacrements under the C of E, resented for this

• Father Jeremiah O’Flynn arrived in 1817 - arrested and deported in 1818 because he conducted Catholic services without government authorisation.

• The Governor King gave persmission for Father Dixon (Irish convict priest) to say the first Mass in 1803 and minister to Catholic convicts.

• Castle Hill Rebellion of 1804 - worship restricted due to Irish Catholic convicts

• Uprising in 1804, upset peace - Marsden blamed Catholics, worship was banned again

• 1820 - first authorised priests arrive, 1817 an unsanctioned priest was arrested

Establishment of Christianity - The nonconformist Churches (Methodist and Congregationalist)

• Congregationalists came in 1798, first minister in 1830

• Methodist came in early 19th century, focused on misisonary work, branches unified in 1902 to form a single Methodist Church

• First Methodist minster of NSW in 1815 was Samuel Leigh

• Lutherans (German speaking immigrants) arrived in the 1830s, large numbers, settled in SA, escaping political and religious unrest

• Quakers arrived in the 1830s, lamented the lack of morality. James Backhouse and George Walker write in 1837: “We cannot overlook the low state of morality…“

• Baptists arrived in 1831, first preacher was John McKaeg

• Their first pastor was Rev John Saunders in 1834, opened a church in 1836, several Baptist variants often conflicted

• The national Baptist Union was founded in 1926

• The nonconformist Churches were initially not accepted as legitimate

Christanity - statistics

Christianity remained the dominant religious influence in Australia.
The 1947 census recorded approximately 88% of Australians identifying as Christian, although this figure was recorded just after the period being studied.

Arrival of Judaism

• Second religion established

• Immigration in small numbers after WWI, afterward 1% of population

• Jewish convicts arrived with the First Fleet

Establishment of Judaism - in NSW

• In 1817, the first minyan (a quorum of ten Jewish men) was formed

• The Jewish Burial society, Chevra Kaddisha, was established.

• Their formation is considered the formal beginnings of the Jewish community in NSW, in 1817 by Joseph Marcus

• Philip Joseph Cohen - held services in homes in 1830s, he was authorised to perform marraiges, first home is regarded as first Jewish synagogue

• In 1821, first group of free Jewish settlers came, by 1828 grew to 100

• Aaron Levy - first Rabbi in Australia in 1830

• 1837 - first official synagogue opened in 1837, Bridge St Sydney

• 1841 - 1083 Jews in Australia, in 1844 - permanent synagogue was consecrated in in York Street, Sydney, in 1844, held 500 worshippers, centre of Sydney’s Jewish community.

• 1878 - the Great Synagogue opening in Elizabeth St, Sydney with Alexander Davis as Chief Rabbi

Establishment of Judaism - communities in other colonies

• Tasmania had Jewish residents from 1804, with its first synagogue consecrated in 1845.

• Victoria’s first congregation formed in 1843, followed by a synagogue in 1848, grew to over 3000 during the gold rush

• South Australia had a synagogue by 1850, began in 1844

• Developed in Western Australia late in the 19th century, although Jews had lived there since 1829

Arrival of Islam

• Islam had contact with Australia before British colonisation.

• From 1750s, Muslim Macassan fishermen from present-day Indonesia visited northern Australia in search of trepang, or sea cucumber.

• Generally peaceful encounters with Aboriginal communities

• Evidence associated with Macassan contact includes graves facing Mecca and Aboriginal paintings interpreted as depicting fishing boats.

• Muslim workers from Indonesia were later brought to Australia for the pearling industry and sugar plantations.

• Muslim immigration and movement were restricted by the Immigration Restriction Act 1901 and the broader White Australia Policy.

• Macassan visits ended by approximately 1907 after the introduction of Australian territorial controls.

Establishment of Islam - Afgahnistan and Pakistan

• From the 1860s, Muslim cameleers arrived from Afghanistan and present-day Pakistan. Camels were valuable for transporting people and goods across Australia’s inland deserts

• Was across multiple states, established transport routes and influenced development of roads through the outaback

• End of camel transport in 1920s meant many had to leave Australia, approximately 3000 cameleers worked across Australia, and after WWI.

• First mosque was built at Marree, South Australia, in 1882, while another mosque was built in Adelaide in 1890. It also refers to an earlier mosque constructed in South Australia in 1861.

Estbalishment of Islam - Turkey and Lebanon

• Small Muslim communities from Turkey and Lebanon existed during the nineteenth century.

• Albanian Muslims were able to enter Australia during the 1920s and 1930s because they were often classified as having a European appearance.

• Small numbers of sailors and prisoners arrived on convict ships

• Muslim Malay divers were recruited for the pearling industry in Western Australia and the Northern Territory, in the 1870s. Their population reached approximately 1,800 by 1875, although many later returned home.

• 2000 by 1920s, only 100 families remained in Australia

Issues related to the development of Christianity - Sectarianism (Religious division + social, political and religious reasons, occupation of Ireland, forced religious practice, rebellion)

• Rivalry, discrimination or divison based on religious affiliation.

• Can lead to severe discrimination, persecution and violence.

• Primarily associated witht he conflict between Catholics and Protestants (Angliclans)

  • Originated from Protestant Reformation of 16th Century.

  • English occupation and oppression of Ireland - political and religious conflict/identity

  • C of E - established Church, supported by government

  • Feared Catholic gatherings would encourage rebellion, after 1795 Irish uprising - Catholic clergy incited rebellion, considered uneducated, immoral and irreligious (refused to have children baptised in the C of E_

Issues related to the development of Christianity - Sectarianism (Education, employment, public service)

• Catholics established their own schools to preserve religious identity and avoid Anglican control. Catholic schools became symbols of freedom but faced financial and political obstacles.

• Employment discrimination: Job advertisements sometimes stated “Catholics need not apply.” Many businesses were owned by Protestants who mistrusted Catholics.

• Public Service: One area where discrimination was less common. Catholics became overrepresented in public sector jobs. Catholic schools focused on preparing students for the Public Service examination to secure employment.

Issues related to the development of Christianity - Sectarianism (Conscription debate + marriage)

Conscription:

• The government sought to introduce conscription to support Britain, requiring a referendum.

• Protestant leaders, especially Anglican, generally supported conscription as loyalty to Britain.

• Catholic leaders, including Archbishop Daniel Mannix of Melbourne, strongly opposed conscription.

• Both conscription referenda (1916 and 1917) were defeated. Catholics were vilified by some as traitors, although many Protestants also opposed conscription.

• Escalated hostility towards Catholics

Marraige:

• “Catholics who chose to marry in a Protestant church were excommunicated forthwith.” Siobhan McHugh, History Australia, 2009

• The Catholic Church opposed mixed Catholic–Protestant marriages.

• Couples were required to agree in writing to raise children as Catholics.

• Catholics who married in Protestant churches could be excommunicated. To have their marriage recognised, they had to undergo a second Catholic ceremony and declare whether they had married “out of ignorance or malice” before a “heretical minister.”

• Mixed marriage ceremonies in Catholic churches were often conducted away from the main altar, at a side altar or in the presbytery.

• Families sometimes disinherited or rejected relatives who entered mixed marriages.

Issues related to the development of Christianity - Sectarianism (Organisations)

• Evangelical Protestants expressed loyalty through lodges such as the Loyal Orange Lodges and the Masonic movement.

• Catholics formed the Knights of the Southern Cross in 1919 to counter these organisations.

Sectarianism summary

• Class dimension: Anglican and Protestant churches were associated with the ruling classes; Catholics were associated with the working class.

• Impact: Sectarianism fuelled suspicion and hostility between Catholics and Protestants, affected children, marriages, employment, education and politics. It began to soften after World War I, World War II and the Great Depression, leading eventually to greater ecumenical cooperation.

Issues related to the development of Christianity - Social welfare

• Christian groups saw assistance to the disadvantaged as central to Christian ethos.

• Education for the needy:

  • 1866: Mother Mary MacKillop and Father Julian Tenison Woods founded the Sisters of St Joseph to teach poor children, especially in rural areas.

  • After the Public Instruction Act 1880 ended government funding for denominational schools, Catholic religious orders worked to keep Catholic schools operating.

• Assistance for marginalised people:

  • 1888: Mother Esther established the first Church of England religious order to work with poor women and prostitutes.

  • 1897: Bishop Nathaniel Dawes founded the Bush Brotherhoods, whose members travelled on horseback to provide ministry in outback communities.

  • 1920s: The Presbyterian Australian Inland Mission developed the Flying Doctor Service and the School of the Air for remote health and education.

• Assistance for migrants:

  • Caroline Chisholm arrived in 1838 and was concerned about vulnerable migrants, especially young girls abandoned on the docks.

  • She lobbied clergy and government, helping establish the Female Immigrants’ Home, which provided shelter, protection and employment assistance.

  • She returned to England in 1846 and helped more than 10,000 people migrate and settle in Australia.

  • She became known as the “immigrant’s friend.”

• Great Depression (1930s):

  • Churches provided emergency relief but recognised that charity alone was insufficient.

  • Church lobbying contributed to the introduction of government unemployment benefits, known as the dole or “susso.”

Contribution of Christianity in Australian to: Rural and outback communities

– Rural and outback communities

• Rural and outback communities faced disadvantages due to vast distances, harsh climate, and limited access to services.

• Christian denominations adapted ministry through travelling clergy, religious orders, hospitals, schools and welfare programs.

• Catholic Church:

  • Followed Irish Catholic settlers into rural areas.

  • Nuns, brothers and priests were often willing to go where married Anglican clergy would not.

  • Provided primary education, orphanages, health and welfare services, and religious instruction.

• Anglican Church:

  • 1897: Bishop Nathaniel Dawes established the Bush Brotherhoods.

    • Bush Brothers were usually young men who took temporary vows of celibacy, poverty and obedience.

    • They travelled on horseback, conducting services, administering sacraments and providing pastoral care.

  • 1919: The Bush Church Aid Society was established by Sydney evangelical Anglicans to support religious work in isolated regions.

• Presbyterian Church:

  • Australian Inland Mission (associated with Reverend John Flynn) worked in remote areas.

  • 1920s: Flynn helped develop the Flying Doctor Service to bring medical care to isolated communities.

  • Also developed the School of the Air, using radio to educate remote children.

• Indigenous missions:

  • Many denominations established missions to Aboriginal communities in the outback.

  • Missions sometimes provided food, education and medical care, but also contributed to the loss of Aboriginal languages, culture and traditional knowledge.

  • The document cites Hermannsburg as an example where later efforts tried to undo some cultural damage.

Contribution of Christianity in Australian to: Education

• Education was closely tied to religious identity and sectarianism. Catholics wanted schools that preserved Catholic beliefs and values.

• Three key pieces of legislation shaped religious education before 1945:

Legislation	Main provisions	Religious consequences
Church and School Corporation Charter (1825–1826)	Reserved 1/7 of all colonial land grants for Church of England schools and churches.	Strengthened Anglican dominance; disadvantaged other denominations.
Church Act (1836) (Governor Bourke)	Provided “pound for pound” government subsidies to religious groups that raised matching funds.	Initially benefited the Church of England most, due to greater wealth. Catholics later used the scheme effectively through determination and organisation. Presbyterians opposed state funding for religion; Methodists supported funding but opposed Catholic aid. Rural churches often received less benefit due to smaller populations.
Public Instruction Act (1880) (Premier Henry Parkes, NSW)	Made education free, compulsory and secular; ended government funding for denominational schools.	Placed financial pressure on Catholic and other denominational schools. Catholic schools survived through religious orders. State aid remained a political issue into the 1940s.

• Catholic religious orders that sustained Catholic education included:

  • Sisters of St Joseph

  • Sisters of Mercy

  • Sisters of Charity

  • Sisters of Loreto

  • Christian Brothers

  • Marist Brothers

  • De La Salle Brothers

  • Patrician Brothers

  • Jesuits

• The Church of England continued some schools where parents could pay fees, but many Anglicans supported the public school system.

Contribution of Christianity in Australian to: Public morality

• Public morality refers to attempts by conservative Christian groups to enforce moral values through legislation and social pressure.

• Sabbath observance (Sabbatarianism):

  • The Church of England’s status as the established church gave it strong influence.

  • Governor Phillip required convicts to attend Anglican services to improve moral character.

  • Compulsory worship reinforced the link between Christianity, government authority and punishment.

• Sexual morality:

  • All major Christian denominations opposed extramarital relationships, homosexuality and divorce.

  • This contributed to strict laws regulating sexual behaviour and made divorce difficult to obtain.

• Temperance Movement:

  • Primarily supported by Protestant denominations seeking to reduce alcohol consumption.

  • Had considerable influence on early Australian society.

  • Prohibition of alcohol sales was never achieved because Anglican and Catholic authorities generally accepted moderate drinking.

• Gambling:

  • Most Christian denominations denounced gambling as gain without honest labour.

  • Christianity influenced the banning of gambling in early Australian society.

  • The Catholic Church did not object to gambling provided it was not excessive.

Public morality legisation overall effect

• These moral campaigns were sometimes called “Wowserism”.

• They were increasingly viewed as attempts at religious social control.

• Resistance to religious control contributed to the growth of secularism.

• Public morality debates also heightened tensions between the Church of England, the Catholic Church and conservative Protestant denominations.