Two Centuries of Catholic Experience in Australia (CH9202C)

Postgraduate, 24.0 points

Content

This unit explores the history of the Catholic Church in Australia in the following topics: earliest contact with Terra Australis via European exploration in the 16th-18th centuries; the first permanent, originally lay led community in Sydney; the foundation of the episcopal hierarchy and its extension across the continent; the 19th-century clash of visions between the English-led Benedictines and the Irish secular clergy and the role of Roman decision-making in the resolution of conflicts; personalities, spiritual styles and cultures; the education question; engagement with indigenous communities; the contribution of women; Catholic participation in 20th century debates surrounding labour controversies, war, conscription, Irish nationalism, the depression and communism; the Church’s relationship with non-Catholic traditions, first sectarianism and then ecumenism; the transformation of the social face of the Catholic community under the impact of post-World War II mass migration, secularization and the Second Vatican Council.

Unit code: CH9202C

Unit status: Approved (Minor revision)

Points: 24.0

Unit level: Postgraduate Elective

Unit discipline: Church History

Proposing College: Catholic Theological College

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Learning outcomes

1.

Situate the history of the Catholic Church in Australia within the context of the wider developments in Australian society
2.

Assess the key themes and personalities that helped shape the growth of the Church in Australia from early colonial times.
3.

Trace the origin of many of the debates in Australian public life that often revolved around the place of religion in society
4.

Interpret the various documents of Church teaching within the context of Australian Catholic history.

5.

Evaluate the distinctive place of religion within the wider context of Australian history.
6.

Analyse and interpret both primary and secondary sources in a critical fashion and demonstrate competence in the methodologies and conventions of advanced research in the discipline of history

Pedagogy

Lectures, seminars and site visits

Indicative Bibliography

  • Campion, Edmund. Australia’s Catholics: The Contribution of Catholics to the Development of Australian Society. Melbourne: Viking Press, 1987.
  • Campion, Edmund. Great Australian Catholics. Richmond: Aurora Books, 1997.
  • Duncan, Bruce. Crusade or Conspiracy? Catholics and the anti-Communist Struggle in Australia. Sydney: UNSW Press, 2001.
  • Hogan, Michael. The Sectarian Strand: Religion in Australian History. Ringwood, Vic: Penguin Books, 1987.
  • Massam, Katharine. Sacred Threads: Catholic Spirituality in Australia 1922-1962. Sydney: University of New South Wales Press, 1996.
  • Niall, Brenda. Mannix. Melbourne: Text Publishing Company, 2015.
  • O’Donoghue, Frances, The Bishop of Botany Bay: the life of John Bede Polding, Australia’s first Catholic bishop. London: Angus and Robertson, 1982.
  • Dowd, Chris. Rome in Australia. The Papacy and Conflict in the Australian Missions, 1834-1884. 2 vols. Leiden: Brill, 2004.
  • O’Farrell, Patrick. The Catholic Church and Community: An Australian History. Sydney: University of New South Wales Press, 3rd revised edition, 1992.
  • Turner, Naomi. Catholics in Australia: A Social History. 2 vols. North Blackburn, Vic: Collins Dove, 1992.

Assessment

Type Description Word count Weight (%)
Seminar or Tutorial

1,000 word seminar paper

 1000 20.0
Essay

5,000 word essay

 5000 50.0
Written Examination

One hour documents examination (1,000 words)

 1000 30.0
Approvals

Unit approved for the University of Divinity by Prof Albert Haddad on 28 Jul, 2025

Unit record last updated: 2025-07-28 09:31:24 +1000