Whilst the Townsville Diocese is celebrating 150 years of Catholic education in 2023, Catholic education in Australia began over 200 years ago and was brought into existence through the charity of the Catholic Church and the support of its parishes. 

The arrival of Catholic priests and religious brothers and sisters enabled the development of Catholic education with the first Catholic school opening in Parramatta, Sydney with 31 students.

Catholic schools are committed to maintaining high academic standards, inspiring noble virtues, and encouraging young students. Today, there are over 1,700 Catholic schools in Australia. Combined, they serve around 20% of all Australian students.

Parents and students choose Catholic schools because of the many advantages they offer in their learning programs, such as:

• learning of core values, including respect, hope, compassion, forgiveness, and friendship
• the commitment to the pursuit of academic excellence
• the unmatched care of the students by the teachers and staff
• holistic development in young students, not just intellectually; but spiritually and emotionally as well

Catholicism in Australia has a rich history, resulting in the strong presence of Catholic schools in the country today and the continued faith in Christian education. But where did Catholic education all begin? When did this value-based education start in Australia?

Early Catholic Education in Australia

The first Australian Catholic school was founded in 1820, in Parramatta, Sydney, by an Irish priest named John Therry. Early Catholic schools were run by priests and convicts with the intention of spreading the Catholic faith and providing opportunities to disadvantaged and marginalised communities.

Due to a lack of resources and funding, and an anti-Catholic sentiment, Catholic education struggled to grow. It is a mark of the hard work of those early missionaries that the foundation for our current Catholic education system was laid down so firmly so many years ago and continued to survive through the history of Australia.

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. Over the next fifty years, a flood of Catholic missionaries, reverends, and bishops came to Australia, settling around the different states and territories. They founded, opened and staffed Catholic schools across the country. Some of these include the Sisters of Mercy in Perth and Brisbane, the Sisters of Charity in Hobart, the Patrician Brothers in Sydney, and the Sisters of the Good Samaritan in Canberra.

The Development of Catholic Education in Australia

Although Catholic education successfully continued to expand in the 19th century, the system itself faced significant controversy and anti-Catholic sentiment. Many thought that Catholic education promoted superstition in its students. As a result, by 1893, all states had withdrawn state aid from church schools and passed laws that aimed to provide free secular education instead. This made it exceedingly difficult for Catholic schools to find funding. Catholics were forced to pay taxes for the new secular schools and then pay again to fund church schools. For ninety years following this political turmoil, Catholic primary schools and high schools for girls were primarily staffed by nuns. Catholics across the country — some already impoverished — suffered significant financial losses.

In 1962, a group of parents in Goulburn, NSW, withdrew their children from Catholic schools and sent them to public schools for several weeks, highlighting the wildly unequal funding situation. Following this event, Catholic schools were granted equal funding alongside public schools so that Catholic education could grow and expand throughout Australia again. Tertiary Catholic education institutions were established, allowing Catholic students to pursue higher education in a religious context. Schools and universities alike taught and nurtured countless students, adapting to new technologies and teaching methods to continue providing high-quality education to Australian students.

Catholic Education in Australia today

The history of catholic education in Australia is one of perseverance and endurance, highlighting the strong faith of those students, parents, teachers, missionaries, and leaders who worked so hard to ensure a strong foundation for Catholic schools. The 1,700 Catholic schools in Australia teach students to stick to their core values and morals, just like the Catholics over the last two centuries, without whom Catholic education and faith would not have reached nearly as many Australians.

Aside from government schools, Catholic schools are the biggest schooling provider in Australia today. However, despite the significance and broad reach of Catholic education in Australia, it is facing declining enrolment and increasing secularisation in Australia. Catholic schools have engaged with modern technologies and teaching methods to address these difficulties. They have developed new programs and opportunities to promote excellent academic and holistic education and ensure that Catholic education maintains its significance in the modern world.

Catholic education remains a crucial cornerstone of Australia’s storied education system. The many Catholic schools nationwide have provided quality education and values-based learning to students for centuries and will continue to do so for many more years to come.