Christianity is the largest religion listed by Australians in the national census. In the 2006 Census, 63.9% of Australians were listed as Christian. Australia has no official state religion and the Australian Constitution protects freedom of religion. The presence of Christianity in Australia began with the arrival of the First Fleet of British convicts in 1788. The religion grew to account for 96.1% of the national population at the time of the Federation of Australia in 1901. The Anglican Church of Australia (formerly known as the Church of England) remained the largest denomination until 1986, when it was surpassed by theRoman Catholic Church in Australia. Post-war multiculturalism and a decline in religious observance among some sections of the population have diversified the demographics ofReligion in Australia.
Of the roughly 64% identifying as Christian in 2006, the largest proportions were either Roman Catholic (25.8%) or Anglican (18.7%), with the third largest group being the 5.7% affiliated with the Uniting Church in Australia. Post-war immigration has grown the numbers belonging to churches like the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and there are small but growing Pentecostal groups, such as Sydney's Hillsong Church. The festivals of Easter and Christmas are public holidays in Australia. Around a quarter of students attend church schools and Christian organisations are leading non-government providers of health and welfare services through organisations like Catholic Health Australia, Anglicare, UnitingCare Australia, the Salvation Army and St Vincent de Paul Society.
Historically significant Australian Christians have included Saint Mary MacKillop, Catherine Helen Spence, Pastor David Unaipon, the Reverend John Flynn and Pastor Sir Doug Nicholls. High profile contemporary Australian Christians include: Tim Costello Baptistminister and current CEO of World Vision Australia, Frank Brennan, Jesuit human rights lawyer, Cardinal George Pell, CatholicArchbishop of Sydney, Phillip Aspinall the current Anglican Primate and Archbishop of Brisbane, Kevin Rudd, former Labor Prime Minister, and Tony Abbott, leader for the Federal Opposition Liberal Party.
History Major religious affiliations in Australia by census year Since time immemorial in Australia, indigenous people had performed the rites and rituals of the animist religion of the Dreamtime. Europeans had assumed the existence of a great southern land mass since ancient times. Among the first Catholics known to have sighted Australia were the crew of a Spanish expedition of 1605-6. In 1606, the expedition's leader, Pedro Fernandez de Quiros landed in theNew Hebrides and, believing it to be the fabled southern continent, he named the land: Austrialis del Espiritu Santo Southern Land of the Holy Spirit. Later that year, his deputy Luís Vaz de Torres sailed through Australia's Torres Strait. The permanent presence of Christianity in Australia began with the arrival of the First Fleet of British convict ships at Sydney in 1788. The Reverend Richard Johnson of the Church of England was licensed as chaplain to the Fleet and the settlement. In early Colonial times, Church of England clergy worked closely with the governors. Johnson was charged by the governor, Arthur Phillip, with improving "public morality" in the colony, but he was also heavily involved in health and education. The Reverend Samuel Marsden (1765–1838) had magisterial duties, and so was equated with the authorities by the convicts. He became known as the 'flogging parson' for the severity of his punishments Some of the Irish convicts had been transported to Australia for political crimes or social rebellion in Ireland, so the authorities were suspicious of Catholicism for the first three decades of settlement and Catholic convicts were compelled to attend Church of England services and their children and orphans were raised by the authorities as Anglicans. One-tenth of all the convicts who came to Australia on the First Fleet were Catholic, and at least half of them were born in Ireland. A small proportion of British marines were also Catholic. Other groups were also represented, for example, among theTolpuddle martyrs were a number of Methodists. |
