-
The school founded by Fr. John Therry in Parramatta in 1820 is considered the first official Catholic school in Australia. -
Fr. John Therry, along with Fr. Philip Connolly, played a pivotal role in establishing the Catholic Church and its educational efforts in the colony. -
Catholic education in the early colony was severely restricted. The Church of England held a dominant position, and Catholic convicts were even compelled to attend Anglican services. -
Early Catholic schools primarily focused on religious instruction, including the catechism and devotional practices, but also included secular subjects like reading, writing, and arithmetic. -
by 1833, there were around ten Catholic schools in the Australian colonies.[10] The Church of England lost its legal privileges in the Colony of New South Wales -
In 1835, Bishop John Bede Polding arrived in Sydney, playing a significant role in the development of Catholic education. He advocated for the training of Catholic teachers and invited the five Sisters of Charity to Sydney to teach at various schools -
Port Phillip District (later known as Victoria) likely opened in 1839 after the arrival of the first Catholic priest in the colony, Fr Patrick Geoghegan, a Franciscan friar. -
In the 1850s, Catholic education in Australia saw significant growth within newly established dioceses, despite facing challenges from those advocating for secular education and the withdrawal of government funding. -
In 1872, Victoria became the first Australian colony to pass an education act providing for free, secular public education -
Victoria became the first Australian colony to introduce compulsory education with the Education Act of 1872