Religion in Australia pre-1945

10 multiple choice questions on this

How Christianity and Islam arrived in Australia

  • How did Christians arrive?

    • The convicts who arrived on the first fleet in 1788 were predominately Irish Roman Catholics and English Anglicans (Church of England).

    • The aristocracy and officials were typically English Anglicans, which shaped our early society. Very quickly, tensions developed between the Catholics (mainly convicts) and Anglicans (the aristocracy), resulting in sectarian rivalry. Catholicism was not allowed to be actively practiced until 1820, which led to further tensions between the two groups.

  • Christianity in the colony

    • Life in the early colony was very strict. All citizens were expected to attend weekly Anglican church services (even those who were not Anglican or active churchgoers) and would be punished if they didn’t attend. They were led by Reverend Richard Johnson (the first Anglican minister in Australia).

    • In addition to running church services, ministers also acted as magistrates, ruling on various court cases. Punishments that were delivered were very severe, where floggings were common.

    • Within the first few decades of settlement, Methodists and Presbyterians started to become established. These groups are both part of the Protestant denomination, which in the 1970s merged to form the Uniting Church.

  • How did Muslims arrive in Australia

    • Muslims began to arrive in Australia from Indonesia in the 1750s as fishermen. Later, others came to work in the pearling industry and sugar plantations.

    • In the 1860s, Muslims started arriving as camel drivers from Pakistan and Afghanistan. Approximately 3000 Muslim camel drivers arrived during this time, and they controlled the majority of the camel transportation industries across the country.

    • The first mosque was built in 1882 in Maree, South Australia, which led to other mosques being introduced into the country, including a large mosque built in Adelaide in 1890.

  • Muslim departure

    • With the introduction of the Immigration Restriction Act 1901,most Muslims were unable to enter the country.

    • Then in the early 1920s, the camel industry ended and most Muslims returned to their home country. Small pockets of Muslims travelled to Australia from Turkey and Lebanon early in the 19th Century.

    • However, after World War I, the number of Turkish born Muslims in Australia reduced after Australia fought against the Ottoman Empire (Turkish people)

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  • The British Context

    • At the end of the XVIII century in Britain, the main religion was Anglicanism (Church of England)

    • Anglicanism was divided into different groups such as the EVangelical Anglicans (stress the supreme authority of the bible and the importance of evangelism)

      • In Scotland most people were Presbuterian (Church of Scotland)

        • They are Calvinist

      • In Ireland, Catholicism is the dominant Religion but suffers English persecutions:

        • Legal penalties

        • Discrimination

        • Exclusion from civil and military offices and from professions related to law and health

    • Irish people could not own their own land

    • They had no right to vote

    • They were second-class citizens and largely persecuted

    • 1798

      • Irish rebellion against the English power

      • The Irish rebellion led to a fierce repression many convicts sent to Australia were the casualties of this battle against oppression

  • The first fleet and after

    • Christianity was introduced to the colony by the Church of England

      • Richard Johnson was the first Chaplain (Anglican) arrived with the first fleet.

    • Religion for Anglicans was a means of keeping social order, but lack of respect for spirutual matters was a regular complaint

    • Governer Phillip ordered all convicts (even the Catholic ones) had to attend the Divine service on Sunday mornings

    • The ones who failed to attend had their food rations reduced

    • Soldiers and free settlers were also forced to attend the service

    • Samuel Marsden was the most influential chaplain and ruled over Sydney the first 30 years of the 19th century

      • He was cruel towards the Catholics (FLOGGING!!!!)

    • The first Anglican diocese (religious organisation) in the Southern Hemisphere was created in 1836

      • The first bishop was William Grant Broughton

    • 1842 creation of the diocese of Tasmania

    • 1847 creation of the diocese of Melbourne, Adelaide and Newcastle

    • At the beginning, the Church of England controlled marriages and funerals

      • Conversions were expected

    • The Irish people were the most affected

    • It is not before 1820 that the British people allowed two Catholic Chaplains to practice the ceremonies

  • Catholics in Australia

    • John Therry was the most influential Catholic chaplain. Arrived in Australia in 1820. He fought for Catholic rights to worship freely and civic equality

    • 1835:

      • The first Catholic Bishop is John Bede Polding

    • 1840s

      • Creation of the dioceses of Hobart, Adelaide, and Western Australia

  • Presbytarian Church

    • Came to AUstralia with early settlers from Scotland

    • 1795 first Presbyterian service is conducted

  • Church Act

    • 1836

      • Gives legal equality to the Church of England, Catholic, Methodist, and Presbyterian Churches.

      • Salaries of all ministers were subsidised by the state on the basis of the sizes of the congregations

  • Arrival of Judaism

    • 16 Jewish people were among the first fleet

    • The first synagogue was built in Sydney in the mid 1840s

    • Mid 19th century they made up 0.5% of the population

    • The great synagogue of Sydney was completed in 1878

  • Arrival of Islam

    • The very first contacts with Islam probably date from the 17th century with the merchants and fishermen from Macassar (Celebes in Indonesia)

    • The Afghan camel drivers in the 1860s brought Islam to Australia

    • The first mosque was constructed in 1861 as a mere shelter

    • Adelaide mosque was founded in 1890, followed by Broken Hill in 1891

  • Establishment of Buddhism

    • The first contacts with buddhist explorers sent by the Ming Emperors of China (1405/1433)

    • In the 1850s, Chinese miners arrived during the Gold Rush constitued the first community

    • In 1857, 27,000 Buddhists were in Victoria

    • By 1891, Buddhists made up 1% of the population

    • Theravada entered Australia in 1876 with Sri Lankan workers involved in the pearling industry on Thursday Island

    • Some Sri Lankan also worked in the Sugar industry

    • Late 1870s, arrival of Japanese divers due to increasing demand in the pearling industry

    • Buddhism attracted some Westerners too

    • Creation of the Little Circle of Dharma in 1925

  • Aboriginal Religion in the Early Days

    • The Aboriginal people didn’t build shrines but lived among the spirits and the land was sacred itself

    • Lifestyle was nomadic

    • Anti-food waste, take only what you need, and each person had a special connection to a specific part of nature

    • In 1788 a fleet of 11 ships carrying around 1,000 Europeans came to establish a colony for Great Britain

    • Everyone had to attend Sunday worship for the Anglican church despite being Christians

    • The Irish insisted on staying Catholic as it was all they had left atp

    • After the revolution in 1798, hundreds of Irish were arrested and many were sent to the colony in Australia → Starvation had already been overcome, land grants, livestock flourishing +

    • It wasn’t until 1793 that there was a church, but because it was Anglican, Catholic’s burnt it down 5 years later

    • 1792 it was petitioned that a Catholic priest was allowed, and then again in 1796 but both were denied and petitioning was continued

      • They weren’t show if it would encourage behaviour or rebellion

    • Many Irish only spoke Gaelic instead of English

    • Father Harold, Dixon, and O’Neill in 1800 and 1801 (Dixon and O’Neill were arrested unjustly) but they could not perform publicly because of fears of rebellion. Finally, Governor King allowed Dixon to preach as he thought it would help the behaviour of the convicts under the condition of not preaching rebellion

    • Samuel Marsden didn’t like it because he said the empire would fall in the next year → there was a rebellion of Castle Hill in 1804 and was blamed entirely on the Irish even though Father Dixon tried to stop it. He then left in 1809

    • Groups of Catholics would come together to say prayers

    • No more Priests for another 7 years → Jeremiah O’Flynn arrived

    • Irish priests Philip Connolly and John Joseph Therry arrived in the Colony in 1820. They had been authorised to minister to Catholics in Australia.

  • Development of Christianity in Australia

    • Sectarianism

      • Not simply a reference to different theological doctrines and practices, but rather to the phenomenon of how those differences arise from the underlying basis of social intolerance, atagonism, and hostility in a wider society.

      • Class rivalries, marriage taboos, political influence, and alliances within secular organisations were some of the many ways that sectarianism spawned into societal prejudices

    • Social welfare

      • Christian churches were in charge of practical care between 1788 and 1945

      • The Anglican Church was not much interested until the appointment of Ernest Burgmann as Bishop of Canberra in 1934

      • In 1834 the appointment of Catholic Bishop Bede Polding put the Catholic Church in charge of social welfare

    • White Australia policy

    • Impact on rural communities

    • Education

    • Public morality

      • Churches tried to be present everywhere in order to influcne the moral standing of the community

      • Christian groups gained a reputation as wowsers

      • 1834

        • Creation of the Temperance Society

          • Attempt to promote abstinence

      • 2885

        • Creation of the Deaconesses Home

          • Rehabilitation of prostitutes

      • 1887

        • Creation of the Women temperance Union

          • Strived for equal moral standards for men and women, women suffrage, ban of alcohol

    • Religions have affected various laws

      • Prohibition in trading on Sundays

      • Restriction on hotel trading hours

      • Protestant churches were concerned about gambling and alcohol

      • Protestants and Catholics were strongly opposed to sexual immorality (criminal adultery)

    • Contribution of Christianity on rural and outback communities

      • Catholic

        • Catholic nuns and brothers ruled over child welfare and education

        • After 1916 there was an anti-Catholic movement and the Protestant Churches increased their pastoral care in the Bush and reduced the influence of Catholic Churches

      • Protestant

        • 1912

          • Jogn Flynn established the Australian Inland Mission (Presbytarian) and created the Flying Doctor Service, which significantly improved the health conditions in the bush

      • 1897

        • Creation of Bush brotherhood by Bishop Nathaniel Dawes in order to evangelise the bush

      • 1919

        • Creation of Bush Church Aid Society, responsible for the building of bush hospitals, clinics, and hostels for children

  • Education

    • Education was provided for people who could afford it

    • Government provided school for orphans

  • The Schools Estates Corporation Charter of 1825

    • Intended to provide resources for CoE schools and churches only

  • 1862

    • Establishment of the Catholic Education System

  • 1866

    • Mary MacKillop founded the first Australian religious teaching order, Sisters of St. Joseph

    • By the end of the 19th century, the Catholic education system had an impressive number of schools throughout Australia