Christianity is the largestreligion in Australia, with a total of 43.9% of the nation-wide population identifying with a Christian denomination in the 2021 census. The first presence ofChristianity in Australia began withBritish colonisation in what came to be known asNew South Wales in 1788.
The Christian footprint in Australian society and culture remains broad, particularly in areas of social welfare and education provision and in the marking of festivals such as Easter and Christmas. Though theAustralian Constitution of 1901 protectsfreedom of religion andseparation of church and state, theChurch of England held legal privileges in the early British colonial period, when Catholicism in particular was suppressed. Sectarianism was a feature of Australian politics well into the 20th century, as was collaboration by church and state in seeking the conversion of the Indigenous population to Christianity. Today, the Catholic Church is second only to government itself as a provider of government-funded social services, through organisations such asCatholic Social Services Australia and theSt Vincent De Paul Society. The Anglican Church'sAnglicare network is similarly engaged in areas such as emergency relief, aged care, family support service and help for the homeless. Other denominations assist through networks likeUnitingCare Australia and theSalvation Army, and around a quarter of students attend church owned schools.
Historically significant Australian Christians[1] have included the ReverendJohn Dunmore Lang,Saint Mary MacKillop,Catherine Helen Spence, PastorDavid Unaipon, the ReverendJohn Flynn, Pastor SirDoug Nicholls and GeneralEva Evelyn Burrows of the Salvation Army. High-profile contemporary Australian Christians includeTim Costello;Baptist minister and current CEO ofWorld Vision Australia;Frank Brennan, Jesuit human rights lawyer;John Dickson, historian and founder of The Centre for Public Christianity;Phillip Aspinall the currentarchbishop ofBrisbane,Philip Freier the currentAnglican primate of Australia and archbishop ofMelbourne; and recentprime ministersJohn Howard,Kevin Rudd,Tony Abbott andScott Morrison.
Like much of the Western world, Australia has been affected by the widespread decline in religiosity that has lowered the number of professing Christians and a diversifying immigration intakes that have lowered the overall percentage that Christians comprise in the Australian population, resulting in anational census decline from 96.1% at the time of theFederation of Australia in the1901 census, to 43.9% in the2021 census.
According to the 2021 census, religious distribution is 43.9% Christian (47.3% of those who answered the question, 7.3% did not), 38.9% none or secular belief system (41.9% of those who answered), 3.2% Islam (or 3.5% of those who answered), 2.7% Hinduism (2.9% of those who answered), 2.4% Buddhism (or 2.6% of those who answered), and 1.7% other (or 1.8% who answered). The largest Christian denominations (those with at least 1% of the population) were Catholic at 20.0% (21.5% of those who answered), Anglican at 9.8% (10.6% of those who answered), Uniting Church at 2.7% (2.9% of those who answered), Eastern Orthodox at 2.1% (2.3% of those who answered), Presbyterian/Reformed at 1.6% (1.8% of those who answered), Baptist at 1.4% (1.5% of those who answered) and Pentecostal at 1.0% (1.1% of those who answered). Those who answered Christian with no denomination were 2.7% of the population (2.0% of those who answered).
Post-war immigration has grown theGreek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and there are large and growing Pentecostal groups, such as Sydney'sHillsong Church. According to the2016 census,Queensland (56.03%) andNew South Wales (55.18%) had Christian majorities, while the lowest proportion of Christians were found in theNorthern Territory (47.69%) and theAustralian Capital Territory (45.38%).[2]
Before European contact,indigenous people had performed the rites and rituals of the animist religion of theDreamtime. Portuguese and Spanish Catholics and Dutch and English Protestants were sailing into Australian waters from the seventeenth century.[4]
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").[5][6] Later that year, his deputyLuís Vaz de Torres sailed through Australia'sTorres Strait.[7] The English navigatorJames Cook's favourable account of the fertile east coast of Australia in 1770 ultimately ensured that Australia's Christian foundations were to reflect the British denominations (with their Protestant majority and largely Irish, Catholic minority).
The permanent presence of Christianity in Australia began with the arrival of theFirst Fleet of British convict ships at Sydney in 1788.The ReverendRichard Johnson of theChurch of England was licensed as chaplain to the Fleet and the settlement. In early colonial times, Church of England clergy worked closely with thegovernors. 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.[8]
According toManning Clark, the early colonial officials of the colony had disdain for the "consolations of religion", but shared a view that "the Protestant religion and British institutions were the finest achievements of the wit of man for the promotion of liberty and a high material civilization." Thus they looked to Protestant ministers as the "natural moral policemen of society", of obvious social use in a convict colony for preaching against "drunkenness, whoring and gambling". Chaplain Johnson was an evangelical priest of the Church of England, the first of a series of clergymen, according to Clark, through whom "evangelical Christianity dominated the religious life of Protestant Christianity in Australia throughout the whole of the nineteenth century".[9]
Chaplain Johnson led what is regarded as his first service under a tree in Sydney Cove on the first Sunday after arrival, 3 February 1788.[10] On 7 February 1788, Arthur Phillip was sworn in over the Bible as the first governor of the colony, and delivered a speech to the convicts counselling the Christian virtues of marriage and an end to promiscuity. Johnson celebrated the colony's firstLord's Supper in an officer's tent on Sunday 17 February 1788.[11][12]
Johnson's successor, the ReverendSamuel Marsden (1765–1838), hadmagisterial duties and so was equated with the authorities by the convicts. He became known as the "flogging parson" for the severity of his punishments.[13]
Some of the Irish convicts had been transported to Australia for political crimes or social rebellion in Ireland. This was due to the colonisation of the Irish people by the English, and resultant dispossession and cruel conditions forced on them by the English. Irish Catholics had been forced to pay tithes to the protestant churches, even though they were Catholics. Authorities were prejudiced against Catholics and Catholic convicts were compelled to attend Church of England services, with no provision or respect for Catholicism.[14][15]
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.[16] A small proportion of British marines were also Catholic. Other groups were also represented, for example, among theTolpuddle martyrs were a number ofMethodists.
It was the crew of the French explorerLa Pérouse who conducted the first Catholic ceremony on Australian soil in 1788 – the burial of FatherLouis Receveur, a Franciscan friar, who died while the ships were at anchor atBotany Bay, while on a mission to explore the Pacific.[17] The first Catholic priest colonists arrived in Australia as convicts in 1800 – James Harold,James Dixon and Peter O'Neill, who had been convicted for "complicity" in the Irish1798 Rebellion. Dixon was conditionally emancipated and permitted to celebrateMass. On 15 May 1803, in vestments made from curtains and with a chalice made of tin he conducted the first Catholic Mass inNew South Wales.[14] The Irish ledCastle Hill Rebellion of 1804 alarmed the British authorities and Dixon's permission to celebrate Mass was revoked. FrJeremiah Flynn, an IrishCistercian, was appointed asPrefect Apostolic of New Holland (Australia) and set out from Britain for the colony uninvited. Watched by authorities, Flynn secretly performed priestly duties before being arrested and deported to London. Reaction to the affair in Britain led to two further priests being allowed to travel to the colony in 1820 –John Joseph Therry and Philip Conolly.[15] The foundation stone for the firstSt Mary's Cathedral, Sydney was laid on 29 October 1821 by GovernorLachlan Macquarie.
The absence of a Catholic mission in Australia before 1818 reflected the legal disabilities of Catholics in Britain. The government therefore endorsed the EnglishBenedictines to lead the early church in the colony.[18]William Bernard Ullathorne (1806–1889) was instrumental in influencingPope Gregory XVI to establish a Catholic hierarchy in Australia. Ullathorne was in Australia from 1833 to 1836 as vicar-general to Bishop William Morris (1794–1872), whose jurisdiction extended over the Australian missions.
TheChurch of England lost its legal privileges in the Colony of New South Wales by theChurch Act of 1836. Drafted by the Catholic attorney-generalJohn Plunkett, the act established legal equality for Episcopalians, Catholics and Presbyterians and was later extended to Methodists. Nevertheless, social attitudes were slow to change. Catholic laywomanCaroline Chisholm (1808–1877) faced discouragements and anti-papal feeling when she sought to establish a migrant women's shelter and worked for women's welfare in the colonies in the 1840s, though her humanitarian efforts later won her fame in England and great influence in achieving support for families in the colony.[19]
John Bede Polding, aBenedictine monk, was Sydney's first Catholic bishop (and then archbishop) from 1835 to 1877. Polding requested a community of nuns be sent to the colony and five IrishSisters of Charity arrived in 1838. The sisters set about pastoral care in a women's prison and began visiting hospitals and schools and establishing employment for convict women.[20] The sisters went on to establish hospitals in four of the eastern states, beginning withSt Vincent's Hospital, Sydney in 1857 as a free hospital for all people, but especially for the poor.[21] At Polding's request, theChristian Brothers arrived in Sydney in 1843 to assist in schools. In 1857, Polding founded an Australian order of nuns in the Benedictine tradition – theSisters of the Good Samaritan – to work in education and social work.[22] While Polding was in office, construction began on the ambitiousGothic Revival designs forSt Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne and the final St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney.
Since the 19th century, immigrants have brought their own expressions of Christianity with them. Particular examples are the Lutherans fromPrussia who tended to settle in theBarossa Valley,South Australia and inQueensland,Methodists in South Australia, with notable pockets coming fromCornwall to work thecopper mines inMoonta. Other groups included thePresbyterian,Congregationalist andBaptist churches. Establishing themselves first atSevenhill, in the newly established colony of South Australia in 1848, theJesuits were the first religious order of priests to enter and establish houses in South Australia, Victoria, Queensland and theNorthern Territory. While the Austrian Jesuits traversed the Outback on horseback to found missions and schools, Irish Jesuits arrived in the east in 1860 and had by 1880 established the major schools which survive to the present.[23]
In 1885,Patrick Francis Moran became Australia's firstcardinal. Moran believed that Catholics' political and civil rights were threatened in Australia and, in 1896, saw deliberate discrimination in a situation where "no office of first, or even second, rate importance is held by a Catholic".[24]
The Churches became involved in mission work among the Aboriginal people of Australia in the 19th century as Europeans came to control much of the continent and the majority of the population was eventually converted. Colonial clergy such as Sydney's first Catholic archbishop, John Bede Polding, strongly advocated for Aboriginal rights and dignity[25]
With the withdrawal of state aid for church schools around 1880, the Catholic Church, unlike other Australian churches, put great energy and resources into creating a comprehensive alternative system of education. It was largely staffed bynuns, brothers and priests of religious orders, such as theChristian Brothers (who had returned to Australia in 1868); theSisters of Mercy (who had arrived in Perth in 1846);Marist Brothers, who came from France in 1872 and theSisters of St Joseph, founded in Australia bySaint Mary MacKillop and FrJulian Tenison Woods in 1867.[26][27][28] MacKillop travelled throughoutAustralasia and established schools, convents and charitable institutions but came into conflict with those bishops who preferred diocesan control of the order rather than central control from Adelaide by the Josephite order. MacKillop administered the Josephites as a national order at a time when Australia was divided among individually governed colonies. She is today the most revered of Australian Catholics,canonised byBenedict XVI in 2010.[29]
Also from Britain came theSalvation Army (its members sometimes called "Salvos" in Australia), which had been established in the slums of East London in 1865 to minister to the impoverished outcasts of the city. The first Salvation Army meeting in Australia was held in 1880. Edward Saunders and John Gore led the meeting from the back of a greengrocer's cart in Adelaide Botanic Park with an offer of food for those who had not eaten.[30] The Salvos also involved themselves in finding work for the unemployed and in re-uniting families. In Melbourne from 1897 to 1910, The Army'sLimelight Department was established as Australia's first film production company.[31] From such diverse activities, The Salvos have grown to be one of Australia's most respected charitable organisations, with a 2009 survey by Sweeney Research and the advertising group Grey Global finding the Salvation Army and the nation's Ambulance Service to be Australia's most trusted entities.[32] Australia'sGeorge Carpenter wasGeneral of the Salvation Army (worldwide leader) from 1939 to 1946 andEva Burrows during the 1980s and 1990s.[33][34]
Section 116 of theAustralian Constitution of 1901 provided forfreedom of religion.[35] With the exception of the indigenous population, descendants ofgold rush migrants and a small but significant Lutheran population of German descent, Australian society was predominantly Anglo-Celtic, with 40% of the population being Church of England, 23%Catholic, 34% other Christian and about 1% professing non-Christian religions. The first census in 1911 showed 95.95 per cent identified themselves as Christian.
Sectarianism in Australia tended to reflect the political inheritance ofBritain and Ireland. Until 1945, the vast majority of Catholics in Australia were of Irish descent, causing the Anglo-Protestant majority to question their loyalty to theBritish Empire.[15] The Church of England remained the largest Christian church until the 1986 census. AfterWorld War II, the ethnic and cultural mix of Australia diversified and the Church of England gave way to the Catholic Church as the largest. The number of Anglicans attending regular worship began to decline in 1959 and figures for occasional services (baptisms, confirmations, weddings and funerals) started to decline after 1966.[36]
Further waves of migration and the gradual winding back of theWhite Australia Policy, helped to reshape the profile of Australia's religious affiliations over subsequent decades. The impact of migration from Europe in the aftermath of World War II led to increases in affiliates of theOrthodox churches, the establishment of Reformed bodies, growth in the number of Catholics (largely from Italian migration) and Jews (Holocaust survivors). More recently (post-1970s), immigration from South-East Asia and the Middle East has expandedBuddhist andMuslim numbers considerably and increased the ethnic diversity of the existing Christian churches.
Russian sailors visiting Sydney celebrated the Divine Liturgy as long ago as 1820 and a Greek Orthodox population emerged from the mid-19th century. The Greeks of Sydney and Melbourne had a priest by 1896 and the first Greek Orthodox church was opened at Surry Hills in Sydney in 1898. In 1924, the Metropolis of Australia and New Zealand was established under theEcumenical Patriarchate. Greek immigration increased considerably following World War II, and the Metropolis of Australia and New Zealand was elevated toGreek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and Metropolitan Ezekiel was appointed archbishop in 1959.Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew visited Australia in November 1996.[37]
In the 1970s, theMethodist,Presbyterian andCongregational churches in Australia united to form theUniting Church in Australia.[38] The church remains prominent in welfare services and noted for its innovative ministry initiatives such as those pioneered at centres like Sydney'sWayside Chapel in King's Cross.
1970 saw the first visit to Australia by a pope,Paul VI.[39]John Paul II was the next pope to visit Australia in 1986. AtAlice Springs, the pope made an historic address to indigenous Australians, in which he praised the enduring qualities of Aboriginal culture, lamented the effects of dispossession of and discrimination; called for acknowledgment ofAboriginal land rights and reconciliation in Australia; and said that the Christian Church in Australia would not reach its potential until Aboriginal people had made their "contribution to her life and until that contribution has been joyfully received by others".[40] In July 2008, Sydney hosted the massive international youth festival "World Youth Day" led byBenedict XVI.[41][42] Around 500,000 welcomed the pope to Sydney and 270,000 watched theStations of the Cross. More than 300,000 pilgrims camped out overnight in preparation for the final Mass,[43] where final attendance was between 300,000 and 400,000 people.[44][45][46]
In recent times, the Christian churches of Australia have been active inecumenical activity. The Australian Committee for the World Council of Churches was established in 1946 by the Anglican and mainline Protestant churches. The movement evolved and expanded with Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches later joining and by 1994 theCatholic Church was also a member of the national ecumenical body, theNational Council of Churches in Australia.A 2015 study estimates some 20,000 Muslim converted to Christianity in Australia, most of them belonging to some form of Protestantism.[47]
| Census Year | Anglican % | Catholic % | Other Christian(s) % | Total % | Total population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901 | 39.7 | 22.7 | 33.9 | 96.1 | 3.7 m |
| 1911 | 38.4 | 22.4 | 35.1 | 95.9 | 4.4 m |
| 1921 | 43.7 | 21.7 | 31.6 | 96.9 | 5.4 m |
| 1933 | 38.7 | 19.6 | 28.1 | 86.4 | 6.6 m |
| 1947 | 39.0 | 20.9 | 28.1 | 88.0 | 7.5 m |
| 1954 | 37.9 | 22.9 | 28.5 | 89.4 | 8.9 m |
| 1961 | 34.9 | 24.9 | 28.4 | 88.3 | 10.5 m |
| 1966 | 33.5 | 26.2 | 28.5 | 88.2 | 11.5 m |
| 1971 | 31.0 | 27.0 | 28.2 | 86.2 | 12.7 m |
| 1976 | 27.7 | 25.7 | 25.2 | 78.6 | 13.5 m |
| 1981 | 26.1 | 26.0 | 24.3 | 76.4 | 14.5 m |
| 1986 | 23.9 | 26.0 | 23.0 | 73.0 | 15.6 m |
| 1991 | 23.8 | 27.3 | 22.9 | 74.0 | 16.8 m |
| 1996 | 22.0 | 27.0 | 21.9 | 70.9 | 17.7 m |
| 2001 | 20.7 | 26.6 | 20.7 | 68.0 | 18.7 m |
| 2006 | 18.7 | 25.8 | 19.3 | 63.9 | 19.8 m |
| 2011 | 17.1 | 25.3 | 18.7 | 61.1 | 21.5 m |
| 2016 | 13.3 | 22.6 | 16.2 | 52.2 | 23.4 m |
| 2021 | 9.8 | 20.0 | 14.1 | 43.9 | 25.4 m |
Data for table up to 2006 from Australian Bureau of Statistics.[3]
Christianity andEuropean culture have had a significant impact onIndigenous Australians, their religion and their culture. As in many colonial situations the churches both facilitated the loss of Indigenous Australian culture and religion and also facilitated its maintenance. The involvement of Christians in Aboriginal affairs has evolved significantly since 1788. Around the year 2000, many churches and church organisations officially apologised for past failures to adequately respect indigenous cultures and address the injustices of the dispossession of indigenous people.[48][49][50]
Christian missionaries often witnessed to Indigenous people in an attempt toconvert them to Christianity. ThePresbyterian Church of Australia'sAustralian Inland Mission, theLutheran mission atHermannsburg, Northern Territory, and many Catholic missions in remote areas[51] being examples. Many missionaries often studied Aboriginal society from anAnthropological perspective.[52] Missionaries have made significant contributions to anthropological and linguistic understanding of Indigenous Australians and aspects of Christian services have been adapted when there is Aboriginal involvement – even masses during Papal visits to Australia will include traditional Aboriginalsmoking ceremonies.[53] It was the practice of some Missions to enforce a 'forgetting' of Aboriginal culture. Others, like FrKevin McKelson ofBroome encouraged aboriginal culture and language while also promoting the merits of western style education in the 1960s.[54]
Prominent Aboriginal activistNoel Pearson, himself raised at aLutheran mission inCape York, has written that missions throughout Australia's colonial history "provided a haven from the hell of life on the Australian frontier while at the same time facilitating colonisation".[55]
.jpg)
In theTorres Strait Islands, theComing of the Light Festival marks the day the Christian missionaries first arrived on the islands on 1 July 1871 and introduced Christianity to the region. This is a significant festival for Torres Strait Islanders, who are predominantly Christian. Religious and cultural ceremonies are held across Torres Strait and mainland Australia.[56]
Prominent Aboriginal Christians[57] have included PastorDavid Unaipon, the first Aboriginal author; Pastor SirDouglas Nicholls, athlete, activist and former governor ofSouth Australia;Mum (Shirl) Smith, a celebratedRedfern community worker who, assisted by theSisters of Charity, worked in the courts and organised prison visitations, medical and social assistance for Aboriginal peoples,[52] and former senatorAden Ridgeway, the first chairman of theAboriginal Catholic Ministry.[52] TheUniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress, associated with theUniting Church in Australia, is an organisation developed and managed by Indigenous people to "provide spiritual, social and economic pathways for Australia's First People".[58]
In recent times, Christians like FrTed Kennedy of Redfern,[59]Jesuit human rights lawyer FrFrank Brennan[60] and theJosephite Sisters have been prominent in working for Aboriginal rights and improvements to standards of living.[61]
The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council[62] is the peak body representing Indigenous Catholics in Australia and was formed in Cairns in January 1989 at the first National Conference of the Aboriginal and Islander Catholic Councils. In 1992 the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference officially recognised and welcomed it as the national representative and consultative body to the church on issues concerning Indigenous Catholics.
The members of the council stand down every three years and a new council is appointed. NATSICC's funding comes in the form of Voluntary contributions from schools, parishes and religious orders. In addition,Caritas Australia provides ongoing funding.
Encouraged by Pope John Paul II's words in the Post Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Oceania NATSICC is determined to continue, as the peak Indigenous Catholic representative body, to actively support and promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation in the Catholic Church in Australia.
Christian charitable organisations, hospitals and schools have played a prominent role in welfare and education since Colonial times, when theFirst Fleet'sChurch of England chaplain,Richard Johnson, was credited as "the physician both of soul and body" during the famine of 1790 and was charged with general supervision of schools.[8] The CatholiclaywomanCaroline Chisolm helped single migrant women and rescued homeless girls in Sydney.[63] In his welcoming address to the CatholicWorld Youth Day 2008 in Sydney the then prime minister,Kevin Rudd, said that Christianity had been a positive influence on Australia: "It was the church that began first schools for the poor, it was the church that began first hospitals for the poor, it was the church that began first refuges for the poor and these great traditions continue for the future."[64]
A number of Christian churches are significant national providers ofsocial welfare services (includingresidential aged care and theJob Network) andeducation. These include:
Catholic Health Australia is the largest non-government provider grouping of health, community and aged care services in Australia. These do not operate for profit and range across the full spectrum of health services, representing about 10% of the health sector and employing 35,000 people.[66] Catholic religious orders founded many of Australia's hospitals. IrishSisters of Charity arrived in Sydney in 1838 and establishedSt Vincent's Hospital, Sydney in 1857 as a free hospital for the poor. The Sisters went on to found hospitals, hospices, research institutes and aged care facilities in Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania.[67] At St Vincent's they trained leading surgeonVictor Chang and opened Australia's first AIDS clinic.[68] In the 21st century, with more and more lay people involved in management, the sisters began collaborating withSisters of Mercy Hospitals in Melbourne and Sydney. Jointly the group operates four public hospitals; seven private hospitals and 10 aged care facilities. The EnglishSisters of the Little Company of Mary arrived in 1885 and have since established public and private hospitals, retirement living and residential aged care, community care and comprehensive palliative care in New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and the Northern Territory.[69] TheLittle Sisters of the Poor, who follow thecharism ofSaint Jeanne Jugan to 'offer hospitality to the needy aged' arrived in Melbourne in 1884 and now operate four aged care homes in Australia.[70]
An example of a Christian Welfare agency isADRA (Adventist Development and Relief Agency).[71] This welfare agency is an internationally recognized agency run by theSeventh-day Adventist Church. ADRA is operational in more than 120 countries, around the world, providing relief and development, where ever needed. Within Australia they provide shelter, relief, and services to those in need. They have numerous refuges set up those suffering abuse, as well as shelters for those in need. As well many other things such as food distribution, op-shops etc.
The ReverendJohn Flynn, a minister of thePresbyterian Church founded what was to become theRoyal Flying Doctor Service in 1928 inCloncurry, Queensland, to bring health services to the isolated communities of the AustralianThe Bush.[72]
There are substantial networks of Christian schools associated with the Christian churches and also some that operate asparachurch organisations. TheCatholic education system is the second biggest sector after government schools and has more than 730,000[73] students and around 21 per cent of all secondary school enrolments. The Catholic Church has established primary, secondary and tertiary educational institutions in Australia. The Anglican Church has around 145schools in Australia, providing for more than 105,000 children. The Uniting Church has around 48 schools[16][74] as does the Seventh-day Adventist Church.[75]
Mary MacKillop was a 19th-century Australian nun who founded an educational order, theSisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, and has recently become the first Australian to be canonised as asaint by theCatholic Church.[76] Other Catholic religious orders involved in education in Australia have included:Sisters of Mercy,Marist Brothers,Christian Brothers,Benedictine Sisters,Jesuits andThe Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.
Church schools range from elite, high cost schools to low fee locally based schools. Churches with networks of schools include:
TheAustralian Catholic University opened in 1991 following the amalgamation of four Catholic tertiary institutions in eastern Australia. These institutions had their origins in the 19th century, when religious orders and institutes became involved in preparing teachers for Catholic schools and nurses for Catholic hospitals.[77] TheUniversity of Notre Dame Australia opened in Western Australia in December 1989, and now has over 9,000 students on three campuses in Fremantle, Sydney and Broome.[78]
.JPG)
Church leaders have often involved themselves in political issues in areas they consider relevant to Christian teachings. In early Colonial times, Catholicism was restricted butChurch of England clergy worked closely with the governors. The ReverendSamuel Marsden hadmagisterial duties and so was equated with the authorities by the convicts. He became known as the "flogging parson" for the severity of his punishments.[13] An early Catholic missionary,William Ullathorne, criticised the convict system, publishing a pamphlet,The Horrors of Transportation Briefly Unfolded to the People, in Britain in 1837.[79] Australia's first Catholiccardinal,Patrick Francis Moran (1830–1911), was politically active. As a proponent ofAustralian Federation he denounced anti-Chinese legislation as "unchristian"; became an advocate forwomen's suffrage and alarmed conservatives by supportingtrade unionism and "Australian socialism".[80] ArchbishopDaniel Mannix of Melbourne was a controversial voice againstconscription duringWorld War I and against British policy in Ireland.[81]
Aboriginal pastorsDavid Unaipon and SirDouglas Nicholls, former Catholic priestPat Dodson andJesuit priestFrank Brennan have been high-profile Christians engaged in the cause of Aboriginal rights.[60][82][83]
TheAustralian Labor Party had largely been supported by Catholics until prominent laymanB. A. Santamaria formed theDemocratic Labor Party over concerns ofCommunist influence over the trade union movement in the 1950s.[84]
In 1999, Catholic cardinalEdward Clancy wrote to the prime minister,John Howard, urging him to send an armed peacekeeping force toEast Timor to end the violence engulfing that country.[85] Previous Archbishops of Sydney, CardinalGeorge Pell (Catholic) andPeter Jensen (Anglican), have concerned themselves with traditional issues of Christian doctrine, such as marriage or abortion, but have also raised questions about government policies such as theWork Choices industrial relations reforms and themandatory detention ofasylum seekers.[86][87]Tim Costello, aBaptist minister and the CEO ofWorld Vision Australia, has often been vocal on issues of welfare, foreign aid andclimate change.[88]
Christian political parties in Australia includeAustralian Christians.
When taking theiroath of office, ministers in the Australian federal government may elect to swear that oath on the Bible. In 2007, half of the 40 member cabinet of theRudd Government chose to do so.[89] Historically most Australian prime ministers have been Christians of varying denominations. Of recent prime ministers,Bob Hawke was an agnostic son of aCongregational minister;Paul Keating is a practisingCatholic;John Howard andKevin Rudd are practisingAnglicans, andTony Abbott is a practising Catholic.[84][90][91][92] Former prime ministerJulia Gillard was raised by Christian parents but is herself an atheist.[citation needed]
Religion is often kept "low-key" as topic of discussion in politics in Australia, but a number of current and past politicians present themselves as Christian in public life, these include:
TheParliamentary Christian Fellowship, also known as the parliamentary prayer group, is a gathering of Christian politicians inParliament House, Canberra. The group organises informal prayer, as well as the ecumenical service for the commencement of the Parliamentary year, along with the annual National Prayer Breakfast.[93][94]
The Christian festivals of Christmas and Easter are marked as public holidays in Australia.
The Christian festival of Christmas celebrates the birth ofJesus Christ. As in most Western nations,Christmas in Australia is an important time even for non-religious people and is generally celebrated on 25 December. Churches of the Western Christian tradition hold Christmas Day services on this day but most churches of Eastern Christian tradition –Ethiopian Orthodox,Russian Orthodox or theArmenian Church celebrate Christmas on 6 or 7 January. Both Christmas Day and 26 December (Boxing Day) are public holidays throughout Australia.[95]
Although Christmas in Australia is celebrated during theSouthern Hemisphere summer, manyNorthern Hemisphere traditions are observed in Australia – families and friends exchange Christmas cards and gifts and gather for Christmas dinners; sing songs about snow and sleighbells; decorateChristmas trees; and tell stories ofSanta Claus. Nevertheless, local adaptations have arisen – large open-air carol concerts are conducted on summer evenings before Christmas – such as theCarols by Candlelight in Melbourne and Sydney'sCarols in the Domain. The Christmas songSix White Boomers, byRolf Harris, tells of Santa undertaking his flight around Australia hauled by six white-boomer kangaroos in place ofreindeer. Christian carols such asThree Drovers orChristmas Day by John Wheeler andWilliam G. James place the hymns of praise firmly in an Australian context of warm, dry Christmas winds and red dust. Although a hot roast dinner remains a favourite Christmas meal, the summer temperatures can tempt some Australians toward the nearest watercourses to cool down between feasts. It is a tradition for international visitors to gatheren masse at Sydney'sBondi Beach on Christmas Day.[citation needed]
TheAssyrian Church of the East is also known to be a crowd drawer for the special Christmas Eve midnight mass. More than 15,000 faithful gather at churches inSydney, notably the St Hurmizd Cathedral in Sydney's west.[citation needed]
The Christian festival of Easter commemorates the Bible's account of thecrucifixion andresurrection of Jesus Christ. In Australia, in addition to the religious significance of Easter for Christians, the festival is marked by a four-day holiday weekend starting onGood Friday and ending onEaster Monday – which generally coincides with school holidays and is an opportunity for family and friends to travel and reunite. Across Australia, church services are well attended, as are secular music festivals, fairs and sporting events. One such Easter event isEasterfest an annual Christian Music Festival in Queen's ParkToowoomba and known as the largest drug and alcohol free festival in Australia.[96]
Traditional Easter foods commonly consumed in Australia includehot cross buns, recalling the cross of the crucifixion, and chocolateEaster eggs – symbolic of the promise ofnew life offered by the resurrection. Although chocolate eggs are now eaten throughout the period, eggs were traditionally exchanged onEaster Sunday and, as in other nations, young children believe their eggs to be delivered by theEaster Bunny. A local variant on this tradition is the story of theEaster Bilby, which seeks to raise the profile of an endangered Australian native, theBilby whose existence is threatened by the imported European rabbit population.[97]
Other Easter traditions have been brought by migrant communities to Australia.Greek Orthodox traditions have a wide following among descendants of Greek immigrants; and a fishermen's tradition brought fromSicily, theUlladullaBlessing of the Fleet, takes place on theNew South Wales South Coast withSt Peter as patron.[98]
See also
Most towns in Australia have at least one Christian church. One of Australia's oldest isSt. James Church, Sydney, built between 1819 and 1824. The historicAnglican church was designed by GovernorMacquarie's architect,Francis Greenway – a former convict – and built with convict labour. It is set on a sandstone base and built of face brick with the walls articulated by brick piers.[99] Sydney's AnglicanCathedral of St Andrew was consecrated in 1868 from foundations laid in the 1830s. Largely designed byEdmund Thomas Blacket in thePerpendicular Gothic style reminiscent of English cathedrals. Blacket also designedSt Saviour's Goulburn Cathedral, based on theDecorated Gothic style of a large English parish church and built between 1874 and 1884.[100]
The "mother church" of Catholicism in Australia isSt Mary's Cathedral, Sydney. The plan of the cathedral is a conventional English cathedral plan, cruciform in shape, with a tower over the crossing of the nave and transepts, and twin towers at the West Front, with impressive stained glass windows. 106.7 metres in length and a general width 24.4 metres, it is Sydney's largest church. Built to a design byWilliam Wardell from a foundation stone laid in 1868, the spires of the cathedral were not finally added until the year 2000.
Wardell also worked on the design ofSt Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne – considered among the finest examples ofecclesiastical architecture in Australia.[101][102] Wardell's overall design was inGothic Revival style, paying tribute to the mediaeval cathedrals of Europe. Largely constructed between 1858 and 1897, the nave was Early English in style, while the remainder of the building is in Decorated Gothic.St Paul's Anglican Cathedral, from a foundation stone laid in 1880, is another Melbourne landmark. It was designed by distinguished English architectWilliam Butterfield inGothic Transitional.[103]
Tasmania is home to a number of significant colonial Christian buildings including those located at Australia's best preserved convict era settlement,Port Arthur. According to 19th century notions of prisoner reform, the "Model Prison" incorporates a grim chapel into which prisoners in solitary confinement were shepherded to listen (in individual enclosures) to the preacher's Sunday sermon – their only permitted interaction with another human being.[104] Adelaide, the capital ofSouth Australia has long been known as the "City of Churches" and itsSt Peter's Anglican Cathedral is a notable city landmark.[105] 130 km north of Adelaide is the Jesuit old stone winery and cellars atSevenhill, founded by Austrian Jesuits in 1848.[106]
The oldest building in the city ofCanberra is the picturesqueSt John the Baptist Anglican Church in Reid, consecrated in 1845. This church long pre-dates the city of Canberra and is not so much representative of urban design as it is of theBush chapels which dot the Australian landscape and stretch even into the farOutback, such as that which can be found at the Lutheran Mission Chapel atHermannsburg in theNorthern Territory. A rare Australian example of Spanish missionary style exists atNew Norcia, Western Australia. Founded by SpanishBenedictine monks in 1846.[107][108]
A number of notableVictorian era chapels and edifices were also constructed at church schools across Australia.
Along with community attitudes to religion, church architecture changed significantly during the 20th century. Urban churches such as that at theWayside Chapel (1964) in Sydney differed markedly from traditional ecclesiastical designs.St Monica's Cathedral inCairns was designed by architect Ian Ferrier and built in 1967–68 following the form of the originalbasilica model of the early churches of Rome, adapted to a tropical climate and to reflect the changes to Catholicliturgy mandated atVatican 2. The cathedral was dedicated as a memorial to theBattle of the Coral Sea which was fought east of Cairns in May 1942. The "Peace Window" stained glass was installed on the 50th anniversary of the end ofWorld War II.[109]
In the later 20th century, distinctly Australian approaches were applied at places such asJambaroo Benedictine Abbey, where natural materials were chosen to "harmonise with the local environment". The chapel sanctuary is of glass overlooking rainforest.[110] Similar design principles were applied atThredbo Ecumenical Chapel built in theSnowy Mountains in 1996.[111]
TheSalvation Army founded one of the world's first ever movie studios inMelbourne in the 1890s: theLimelight Department. First filmingA Melbourne Street Scene in 1897, they went on to make large scale Christian themed audio-visual presentations such asSoldiers of the Cross in 1900, and documented theAustralian Federation ceremonies of 1901.[112]
Australian films on Christian themes have included:
A number of current and past media personalities present themselves as Christian in public life, these includeBrooke Fraser,Dan Sweetman, andGuy Sebastian.
Father Bob Maguire and ReverendGordon Moyes have hosted radio programs.
Coverage of religion is part of theAustralian Broadcasting Corporation's Charter obligation to reflect the character and diversity of the Australian community. Its religious programs include coverage of worship and devotion, explanation, analysis, debate and reports.[113]
Catholic Church Television Australia is an office with theAustralian Catholic Office for Film & Broadcasting and develops television programs forAurora Community Television onFoxtel andAustar in Australia.[114]
A Bush Christening is a popular comicbush ballad by renowned Australian poetBanjo Paterson which makes light of the sparsity of Christian preachers and houses of worship on the Australian frontier, beginning:
Nevertheless, the body of literature produced by Australian Christians is extensive. During colonial times, theBenedictine missionaryWilliam Ullathorne (1806–1889) was a notable essayist writing against theConvict Transportation system. LaterCardinal Moran (1830–1911), a noted historian, wrote aHistory of the Catholic Church in Australasia.[14] More recent Catholic histories of Australian includeThe Catholic Church and Community in Australia (1977) byPatrick O'Farrell andAustralian Catholics (1987), byEdmund Campion.
Notable Christian poets have includedChristopher Brennan (1870–1932) andJames McAuley (1917–1976),[115]Bruce Dawe (born 1930). Dawe is among Australia's foremost contemporary poets, noted for his use of vernacular and everyday Australian themes.[116][117]
Australian literature for a long time assumed knowledge of Biblical stories, even where works of literature are not overtly Christian in character. The writings of great 20th century authors likeManning Clark orPatrick White are therefore filled with allusions to biblical or Christian themes.[116]
Many Australian writers have examined the lives of Christian characters, or have influenced by Christian educations. Best selling authorTim Winton.s early novelThat Eye, the Sky tells the story of a family's conversion to Christianity in the face of tragedy. Australia's best selling novel of all time,The Thornbirds, byColleen McCullough writes of the temptations encountered by a priest living in the Outback.
Many contemporary Australian writers includingPeter Carey andRobert Hughes; leading screenwritersNick Enright,Bruce Beresford,Peter Weir,Santo Cilauro andTom Gleisner; and notable poets and authors likeKenneth Slessor,Helen Garner andGerard Windsor attended Anglican, Presbyterian or Catholic schools in Australia.
In 2011, prime minister and atheistJulia Gillard, said that it was important for Australians to have knowledge of the Bible, on the basis that "what comes from the Bible has formed such an important part of our culture. It's impossible to understand Western literature without having that key of understanding the Bible stories and how Western literature builds on them and reflects them and deconstructs them and brings them back together."[118]
The story of Christian art in Australia began with the arrival of the first British settlers at the end of the 18th Century. During the 19th Century,Gothic Revival Cathedrals were built in the Colonial capitals, often containingstained glass art works, as can be seen atSt Mary's Cathedral, Sydney andSt Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne.Rupert Bunny (1864–1947), one of the first Australian painters to gain international fame, often painted Christian themes (seeAnnunciation, 1893).[119]Roy de Maistre (1894–1968) was an Australian abstract artist who obtained renown in Britain, converted to Catholicism and painted notable religious works, including a series ofStations of the Cross forWestminster Cathedral. Among the most acclaimed of Australian painters of Christian themes wasArthur Boyd. Influenced by both the European masters and theHeidelberg School of Australian landscape art, he placed the central characters of the bible within Australian bush scenery, as in his portrait ofAdam and Eve,The Expulsion (1948).[120] ArtistLeonard French, who designed a stained glass ceiling of theNational Gallery of Victoria, has drawn heavily on Christian story and symbolism through his career.[121]
From the 1970s, Australian Aboriginal artists of the Western Desert began to paint traditional style artworks in acrylic paints. This distinctively Australian style of painting has been fused with biblical themes to produce a uniquely Australian contribution to the long history ofChristian art: integrating the mysterious dot designs and evocative circular patterns of traditional Aboriginal art with popular Christian subjects.[122]
TheBlake Prize for Religious Art was established in 1951 as an incentive to raise the standard of religious art in Australia and was named after the artist and poetWilliam Blake.[123]
.jpg)
Christian music arrived in Australia with theFirst Fleet of British settlers in 1788 and has grown to include all genres from traditional Hymns of Praise toChristian Rock andcountry music.St Mary's Cathedral Choir, Sydney is the oldest musical institution in Australia, from origins in 1817.[124] Major recording artists fromJohnny O'Keefe (the first Australian Rock and Roll star) toPaul Kelly (folk rock),Nick Cave (the critically acclaimed brooding rocker) andSlim Dusty (theKing ofAustralian country music) have all recorded Christian themed songs. Other performing artists such as Catholic nunSister Janet Mead, Aboriginal croonerJimmy Little andAustralian Idol contestantGuy Sebastian have held Christianity as central to their public persona.
Church music also ranges widely across genres, from Melbourne'sSt Paul's Cathedral Choir who singchoral evensong most weeknights; to the Contemporary music that is a feature of the evangelicalPlanetshakers andHillsong congregation.[125][126] The Ntaria Choir atHermannsburg,Northern Territory, has a unique musical language which mixes the traditional vocals of the Ntaria Aboriginal women with Lutheran chorales (tunes that were the basis of much ofBach's music).Baba Waiyar, a popular traditionalTorres Strait Islander hymn shows the influence ofgospel music mixed with traditionally strong Torres Strait Islander vocals andcountry music.[127]
Annually, Australians gather in large numbers for traditional open-air Christmas musicCarols by Candlelight concerts in December, such as theCarols by Candlelight of Melbourne, and Sydney'sCarols in the Domain. Australian Christmas carols like theThree Drovers orChristmas Day by John Wheeler andWilliam G. James place the Christmas story firmly in an Australian context of warm, dry Christmas winds and red dust.[95]
New South Wales Supreme Court JudgeGeorge Palmer was commissioned to compose the setting of the Mass for Sydney'sWorld Youth Day 2008 Papal Mass. The Mass,Benedictus Qui Venit, for large choir, soloists and orchestra, was performed in the presence ofPope Benedict XVI and an audience of 350,000 with singing led by sopranoAmelia Farrugia and tenorAndrew Goodwin. "Receive the Power" a song written by Guy Sebastian andGary Pinto was chosen as official anthem for the XXIIIWorld Youth Day (WYD08) held in Sydney in 2008.[128]
| Christian denominations inAustralia |
|---|
|
Other |
The churches with the largest number of members are theCatholic Church in Australia, theAnglican Church of Australia and theUniting Church in Australia.Pentecostal churches are growing withmegachurches, predominantly associated withAustralian Christian Churches (theAssemblies of God in Australia), being found in most states (for example,Planetshakers Church,Hillsong Church andParadise Community Church).[129] The 2023 IPSOS Religion survey found that 22% of Australians identified as Protestant and 18% as Catholic.[130]
As at the2021 census, 11,148,814, representing 43.9% of the total population, declared a religious affinity with Christianity.[131]
| Affiliation | 1986 census | 1996 census | 2006 census[133] | 2016 census[134][135] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| '000s | % of all Christians | '000s | % of all Christians | '000s | % of all Christians | actuals | % of all Christians | |||
| 10Anglican | 3723.4 | 32.7% | 3903.3 | 31.0% | 3718.3 | 29.3% |  | 3,101,191 | | 25.4% |
| 10Baptist | 196.8 | 1.7% | 295.2 | 2.3% | 316.7 | 2.5% |  | 345,142 | | 2.8% |
| 10 CatholicCatholic | 4064.4 | 35.7% | 4799 | 38.1% | 5126.9 | 40.4% | | 5,291,830 | | 43.4% |
| 10Churches of Christ | 88.5 | 0.8% | 75 | 0.6% | 54.8 | 0.4% | | 39,622 | | 0.3% |
| 10Jehovah's Witnesses | 66.5 | 0.6% | 83.4 | 0.7% | 80.9 | 0.6% | | 82,510 | | 0.7% |
| 10Latter Day Saints | 35.5 | 0.3% | 45.2 | 0.4% | 53.1 | 0.4% | | 61,639 | | 0.5% |
| 10Lutheran | 208.3 | 1.8% | 250 | 2.0% | 251.1 | 2.0% | | 174,019 | | 1.4% |
| 10Eastern Orthodox,Oriental Orthodoxy, andAssyrian Apostolic | 427.4 | 3.8% | 497.3 | 4.0% | 544.3 | 4.3% | | 567,680 | | 4.7% |
| 10Pentecostal | 107 | 0.9% | 174.6 | 1.4% | 219.6 | 1.7% | | 260,560 | | 2.1% |
| 10Presbyterian andReformed Churches | 560 | 4.9% | 675.5 | 5.4% | 596.7 | 4.7% | | 524,338 | | 4.3% |
| 10Salvation Army | 77.8 | 0.7% | 74.1 | 0.6% | 64.2 | 0.5% | | 48,939 | | 0.4% |
| 10Seventh-day Adventist | 48 | 0.4% | 52.7 | 0.4% | 55.3 | 0.4% | | 62,945 | | 0.5% |
| 10Uniting Church | 1182.3 | 10.4% | 1334.9 | 10.6% | 1135.4 | 9.0% | | 870,183 | | 7.1% |
| 15 Other Christianity (defined and not defined) | 596 | 5.2% | 322.7 | 2.6% | 468.6 | 3.7% | | 768,649 | | 6.3% |
| Christian total | 11,381.9 | 100% | 12,582.9 | 100% | 12,685.9 | 100% | | 12,201,600 |  | 100% |
| State | 2006 census | 2011 census | 2016 census | 2021 census | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christians (000's) | % population | Christians (000's) | % population | Christians (000's) | % population | Christians (000's) | % population | |
 New South Wales | 4,434.7 | 67.7% | 4,462.2 | 64.5% | 4,127.8 | 55.2% | 3,844.5 | 47.6% |
 Victoria | 2,985.8 | 60.5% | 3,078.1 | 57.5% | 2,839.4 | 47.9% | 2,657.7 | 40.9% |
 Queensland | 2,589.5 | 66.3% | 2,785.0 | 64.3% | 2,635.5 | 56.0% | 2,357.4 | 45.7% |
 Western Australia | 1,162.5 | 59.3% | 1,300.4 | 58.1% | 1,231.2 | 49.8% | 1,093.7 | 41.1% |
 South Australia | 906.1 | 59.8% | 914.4 | 57.3% | 823.6 | 49.1% | 712.8 | 40.0% |
 Tasmania | 306.1 | 64.2% | 295.4 | 59.6% | 253.5 | 49.7% | 213.9 | 38.4% |
 Australian Capital Territory | 195.2 | 60.2% | 197.1 | 55.2% | 180.3 | 45.4% | 173.2 | 38.1% |
 Northern Territory | 105.4 | 54.6% | 117.6 | 55.5% | 109.1 | 47.7% | 94.1 | 40.5% |
| All Australia | 12,685.8 | 63.9% | 13,150.1 | 61.1% | 12,202.6 | 52.1% | 11,148.8 | 43.9% |
While church affiliation as reported in the census identifies the largest denominations, there is no overarching study that shows how active the members are. Some smaller studies include theNational Church Life Survey which researches weeklychurch attendance among other items through a survey done in over 7000 congregations in many but not all Christian denominations everyAustralian Census year and from that estimates figures for those denominations nationally.[136]
From the survey about 8.8% of the Australian population attended a church in one of the covered denominations in a given week in 2001.TheCatholic Church represents the highest number of church attenders, with over 50 percent. While church attendance is generally decreasing the Catholic Church attendance in Australia is declining at a rate of 13 percent.[136] Pentecostal denominations such asAustralian Christian Churches (formerly Assemblies of God) andChristian City Churches continue to grow rapidly, growing by over 20 per cent between 1991 and 1996. Some Protestant denominations such as theBaptist Union of Australia and theChurches of Christ in Australia grew at a smaller rate, less than 10 per cent, between 1991 and 1996.[136] McCrindle Research has found that Pentecostals grew to a larger denomination (12%) than Anglicans (11%) in 2014.[137]Roy Morgan Research has found in a survey of 4840 Australians between October and December 2013 that 52.6% of Australians were Christian, while 37.6% had no religion.[138]
| Denomination | 2001 est. wkly att. ('000) | % total att. | % change since 1996 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anglican | 177.7 | 11.7% | −2% |
| Apostolic | 9.1 | 0.6% | 20% |
| Assemblies of God | 104.6 | 6.9% | 20% |
| Baptist | 112.2 | 7.4% | 8% |
| Bethesda Ministries | 2.7 | 0.2% | na |
| Christian & Missionary Alliance | 4.1 | 0.3% | na |
| Christian City Churches | 11.4 | 0.7% | 42% |
| Christian Revival Crusade | 11.4 | 0.7% | −7% |
| Church of the Nazarene | 1.6 | 0.1% | 33% |
| Churches of Christ | 45.1 | 3.0% | 7% |
| Lutheran | 40.5 | 2.7% | −8% |
| Presbyterian | 35.0 | 2.3% | −3% |
| Reformed | 7.1 | 0.5% | −1% |
| Salvation Army | 27.9 | 1.8% | −7% |
| Seventh-day Adventist | 36.6 | 2.4% | na |
| Uniting | 126.6 | 8.3% | −11% |
| Vineyard | 2.5 | 0.2% | −17% |
| Wesleyan Methodist | 3.8 | 0.2% | −7% |
| Catholic | 764.8 | 50.2% | −13% |
| Total Attendance | 1,524.7 | 100.0% | -7% |
Several areas in Australia have been described as "Bible Belts". These include:
Christianity held strong influence in Australia society after British colonisation, but the influence of Christianity declined in the latter part of the 20th century.[citation needed]
The Anglican Church has said that churches are being sidelined in the wider debate on same-sex marriage.[143]
TheACT Attorney-General,Simon Corbell has said, in the ACT, it will be, "unlawful for those who provide goods, services and facilities in the wedding industry to discriminate against another person on the basis of their sexuality or their relationship status. This includes discrimination by refusing to provide or make available those goods, services or facilities."[144] During the short time that same-sex marriages took place in ACT a Uniting Church minister sought and acquired permission to perform same sex marriages.[145]
Liberal senatorEric Abetz has said that media felt comfortable vilifying Christian politicians.Conservative politicians are often described as being "extreme" or from the "Religious Right". He said that the Canberra press gallery gives, "more positive coverage to politicians and policies they agreed with".[146]
The Anglican Church has criticised the Victorian government for cutting religious education in state schools.[143]
Some Christians have criticised theSafe Schools program[147] (which is used in 400 primary and secondary schools)[148][149] as "radical sexual experimentation".[150] The program includes information about human sexuality and sexual orientations, as well as gender identity.
Some Christians have objected to proposals to establish buffer zones around abortion clinics in both Victoria[151] and Tasmania saying they limit the freedom to protest.[152]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link){{cite web}}:Missing or empty|title= (help)