Arrival and Establishment of Christianity (HSC SSCE Studies of Religion): Revision Notes

Arrival and Establishment of Christianity

Introduction to Christianity in colonial Australia

Christianity arrived in Australia through British colonisation in 1788. As the dominant religious tradition in Britain and Ireland, Christianity was naturally transported to the new penal colony and quickly became the primary religion among European settlers. However, the establishment of Christianity in Australia was far from straightforward, marked by significant challenges including religious tensions, political conflicts, and harsh living conditions.

Background: Terra Australis and the penal colony

Captain James Cook claimed the east coast of Australia for Great Britain in 1770, fulfilling long-held European beliefs about a substantial southern continent called Terra Australis Incognita (unknown land of the south). Britain faced mounting social problems in the late eighteenth century, including overcrowded prisons resulting from the Industrial Revolution. Australia presented a solution: a distant location where Britain could transport convicted criminals and political dissenters.

In 1788, the First Fleet arrived at Port Jackson, establishing New South Wales as a penal colony. The fleet carried just over 700 convicts and 200 marines. By 1810, Britain had transported 12,000 convicts to Australia, representing less than 10 per cent of the total who would eventually be sent. This marked the beginning of modern Australia as an outpost of the British Empire.

Religious composition of the First Fleet

The First Fleet brought remarkable religious diversity to Australia, despite the small population size:

Christian denominations present:

• Approximately one-third of convicts were Catholic, predominantly from Ireland
• The majority were associated with the Church of England (Anglican), though many had little genuine interest in religion
• Small numbers of non-conformist Protestants (those who rejected the Church of England)

Other religious groups:

• Between 6 and 13 Jewish people arrived on the First Fleet

This religious diversity created immediate tensions. The Church of England was the established (government-approved) state religion in England, Wales and Ireland. This meant it received official recognition and support. Scotland, by contrast, had the Presbyterian Church as its established church. Throughout the British Isles, various unofficial Protestant groups existed, including Methodists, Quakers, Baptists, Unitarians and Congregationalists. These groups were called non-conformists because they refused to conform to the Church of England's teachings and practices.

Key terms you need to know

Term	Definition
Penal	Relating to punishment
Catholic	Christian denomination of the Roman Catholic Church
Church of England	The official established church in England (also called Anglican Church)
Presbyterian	State Church of Scotland, governed by elders (presbyters)
Protestant	Churches that split from the Catholic Church in the sixteenth century
Non-conformists	Those who do not conform to the state religion
Sectarianism	Discrimination or hostility between different religious groups
Adherent	Person who supports or identifies with a religious tradition

Richard Johnson: the first minister

Reverend Richard Johnson (1753–1827) was the only Church of England minister aboard the First Fleet. His appointment gave him responsibility for all religious practices in the new colony, regardless of denomination. This created immediate problems, as Catholics, Jews and non-conformists were essentially forced to participate in Anglican services or go without religious expression.

Johnson worked diligently with convicts, guards and sailors, and notably developed positive relationships with Aboriginal peoples. However, his twelve years in the colony were marked by constant conflict and confrontation. He faced opposition from colonial governors who viewed religion as a tool of control rather than spiritual guidance. The convicts themselves, many with little religious interest, resented being compelled to attend Sunday services conducted by the same chaplains who served as magistrates during the week.

By 1800, Johnson had become "exhausted with toil, vexations and privations" (as described by his successor Samuel Marsden) and returned to England suffering from ill-health.

Harsh conditions and emerging Australian character

Life in early colonial Australia was brutally difficult. Food shortages plagued the settlement as Europeans struggled to adapt farming methods to Australian conditions. The penal system operated harshly, with little respect for authority from convicts or toward convicts. Governor Bligh described convicts as "filth of moral corruption", reflecting widespread attitudes among colonial authorities.

Alcohol abuse became rampant, particularly when rum temporarily served as the colony's currency. These challenging conditions contributed to developing distinctively Australian characteristics:

• Egalitarianism: A belief in equality and rejection of rigid class hierarchies
• Mateship: Strong bonds of friendship and mutual support
• Larrikinism: A disrespectful, irreverent attitude toward authority
• Embedded secularism: Suspicion of religious institutions and their power

When convicts completed their sentences, they became emancipated citizens - pioneers of the new nation who were eventually joined by free settlers choosing to migrate to Australia.

Catholic-Protestant tensions and Irish politics

The deepest religious divisions in colonial Australia existed between Protestants (particularly Anglicans) and Catholics. These tensions stemmed from both religious differences and political conflicts. England had invaded and ruled Ireland since the sixteenth century, creating bitter resentment among the Irish population, who were predominantly Catholic.

Legal discrimination against Catholics

Until the Catholic Emancipation Act of 1829, Catholicism was illegal in Britain. Catholics faced severe discrimination:

• Required to pay additional taxes
• Excluded from official participation in the state
• Barred from attending university (because oaths of allegiance to the Church of England were required)
• Denied political representation

The Castle Hill riots (1804)

Beneath the streets of modern Castle Hill in Sydney's north-west lies buried evidence of a brutal encounter between Irish Catholics and British colonial forces. William Johnston, an Irishman deported for his role in the 1798 Irish rebellion, led this uprising in 1804.

Johnston gathered support from more than 300 disaffected Irish Catholics and began marching on Parramatta with the rallying cry of "liberty". However, one frightened convict betrayed the movement to the governor. The rebellion was swiftly crushed. Leaders were caught and executed, while other participants received punishment through enforced resettlement in Newcastle, where they were compelled to attend Church of England services.

Catholics obtain priests

Despite comprising approximately one-third of the convict population, Catholics initially had no access to priests or Mass. In 1803, Father John Dixon, himself a convict, celebrated the first Catholic Mass in Australia. Following the Castle Hill riots, Dixon was suspected of involvement (though he had actually tried to dissuade the rioters) and was banned from further priestly duties by the governor.

Catholics had to wait until 1820, near the end of Governor Lachlan Macquarie's relatively enlightened governorship (1810–21), before they could attend Mass conducted by an official priest. During Macquarie's period, construction also began on significant Catholic buildings like St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney, initially through land grants from the governor.

Father Joseph Therry

The Church Acts (1836)

In 1836, a series of Church Acts represented a turning point for religious equality in Australia. These acts distributed government funding to the four main denominations:

1. Catholic Church
2. Presbyterian Church
3. Methodist Church
4. Church of England

This government money supported building churches and schools, and paying priests and ministers. The Church Acts had crucial significance: they ensured that the Church of England would not become the established state church in Australia, unlike its status in England. This marked the beginning of Australia's tradition of religious pluralism and state support for multiple denominations.

Notable Protestant leaders

Samuel Marsden: the "flogging parson"

Samuel Marsden (1764–1838) replaced Richard Johnson as Church of England minister in 1810. Based in Parramatta where he owned substantial land, Marsden earned the nickname "flogging parson" because he combined roles as religious leader and magistrate, subjecting convicts to brutal punishments. One convict bitterly noted: "He prays for our souls on Sunday, and takes it out of our bodies during the rest of the week."

Marsden held deeply prejudiced views about both Catholics and Aboriginal peoples. He believed Aboriginal peoples lacked sufficient humanity to understand Christianity - a view tragically shared by many colonists. His attitude toward Irish Catholics was even more extreme, describing them as:

"the most wild, ignorant and savage race that were ever favoured with the light of civilization; men that have been familiar with every horrid crime from their infancy."

Marsden clashed with Governor Lachlan Macquarie, who challenged prevailing prejudices by promoting ex-convicts to government positions and legitimising Catholicism. Marsden played a key role in Macquarie's eventual dismissal. Ironically, Marsden later went to New Zealand where he is remembered with affection, while remaining a controversial figure in Australian history.

John Dunmore Lang

John Dunmore Lang (1799–1878) had enormous influence on both religious and political life in colonial Australia. As the first Presbyterian minister in Sydney from the early 1820s, Lang established schools and colleges for local families. He made multiple trips to Britain, encouraging free settlers to migrate and securing British Government funding to support immigration.

Women in early Australia

The contribution of women to establishing Christianity in Australia was vital, though often overlooked by early historians. Women's labour supported the colony and helped religious institutions grow during the difficult early decades.

Caroline Chisholm: "The Emigrant's Friend"

Caroline Chisholm (1808–77) became a powerful force for social change. Initially an adherent of the Church of England, she converted to Catholicism after marrying a Catholic man. Chisholm devoted herself to social welfare issues and championed the immigration of free settlers during the 1840s, particularly working to bring women to the male-dominated colony.

Chisholm saw female immigrants as "God's police" who would bring stability and order to the rough colonial society. She believed that women and families would soften the wild, predominantly male character of early Australia. Beyond immigration work, Chisholm advocated for voting rights for all members of society at a time when voting was restricted to property-owning men, making her an early champion of gender equality and democratic participation.

Mary MacKillop: Australia's first saint

Mary MacKillop (1842–1909) was born in Fitzroy, Victoria. Together with Father Julian Tenison Woods, she founded the Sisters of St Joseph in 1866, an Australian teaching order established to create Catholic educational facilities throughout South Australia. By MacKillop's death, nearly 1,000 women had joined the Sisters of St Joseph in various locations across Australia, demonstrating the order's remarkable growth and influence.

MacKillop's influence on education was particularly significant, and her legacy continues through the ongoing work of the Josephite sisters in Australian schools and social services.

Remember!