About the Catholic Church in Australia:
Australia is both continent and country, with a significant Catholic minority. Since it was established as a penal colony, it is not a surprise that majority of the first Catholics here were prisoners, primarily of Irish descent.
Today, according to the Catholic Bishop’s Conference, Catholics number 5,439,268 out of a total population of 21,507,719, or 25.3%. That is an increase of 6% since 2006. Almost a quarter of those were born elsewhere, which means there is a great diversity of cultures within the Church.
Among the major Catholic sites in the Country are:
New South Wales
Sydney: the Mary MacKillop House
Northern Territory
Darwin: Saint Mary’s Star of the Sea Cathedral and The Madonna of the Aborigines
Western Australia
New Norcia: New Norcia Benedictine Community
