Some key dates in the Archdiocese of Sydney

1788 First Fleet lands Sydney Cove

1791 First Irish convicts transported

1800 Father Dixon and two other priests arrive

1803 First public Mass is celebrated by Father Dixon

1819 First official priests Fathers Therry and Connolly arrive Father Therry opens the first Catholic school in Parramatta

1821 Foundation of St Mary's Cathedral laid by Governor Macquarie Father Connolly builds the first Catholic church in Tasmania

1829 End of penal laws against Catholics holding Government positions

1833 Father Ullathorne arrives in Sydney as the first Vicar General

1835 John Bede Polding becomes Australia's first Catholic Bishop

1938 Australia's first non military hospital begun by the Sisters of Charity

1842 4500 Catholics in Australia

1843 First Catholic Mission to Aborigines on Stradbroke Island, Queensland

1840-1860 Bishops sent to Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and South Australia

1862 State aid to religion abolished

1877 Roger Bede Vaughan becomes Archbishop of Sydney

1884 Cardinal Moran arrives in Sydney

1885 First Plenary Council of the Australian Catholic Church held in Sydney, Laying of St Patrick's seminary foundation stone

1886 The Archbishop's Residence is completed at Manly

1889 St Patrick's College is opened

1895 Catholic Press first issue

1900 Moran convened the first Australasian Catholic Congress
Construction of Cardinal Freeman Pastoral Centre

1910 St Columba's College at Springwood opens

1911 Archbishop Michael Kelly succeeds Cardinal Moran

1912 Australian Catholic Federation starts in Melbourne then Sydney

1913 Catholic's Women's Association began

1914 Catholics become powerful in the Labor Party
St Patrick's Silver Jubilee
St Patrick's College (Manly) Act passes by Parliament
Portion of St Patrick's served into building allotments

1916 Formation of the Manly Union
An ex Manly student, Matthew Brodie, is made Bishop of Christchurch

1920 Sisters of Our Lady Help of Christian move to St. Patrick's

1922 Catholic Teachers Federation formed

1928 Eucharistic Congress in Sydney

1931 Sydney Catholic station 2SM opened

1932 Rules of St Patrick's published

1940 Norman Thomas Gilroy becomes Archbishop of Sydney

1946 Gilroy named Cardinal

1955-1965 Many new Catholic schools

1962 The Second Vatican Council commences

1964 The Mass changes from Latin to English
Catholic Overseas Relief begins

1965 27 percent of teachers in Catholic schools are lay people

1970 Pope Paul VI first papal visit to Australia

1972 James Darcy Freeman succeeds as 6th Archbishop of Sydney

1972 52 percent of teachers in Catholic schools are lay people

1976 Social Justice statement on women
Rome declares that Australia is no longer a mission country

1980 First Catholic lay people graduate in theology

1983 Edward Bede Clancy becomes Archbishop of Sydney

1986 Pope John Paul II visits Australia

1988 Clancy created Cardinal

1993 A Public Notice states that most of the clerical training for the Archdiocese will move to Strathfield.

1995 Pope John Paul II visits Australia - Mother Mary of the Cross (MacKillop) is beatified.
St Patrick's College Manly closes.

1996 Catholic Institute of Sydney, Strathfield officially opened.
Seminary of the Good Shepherd, Homebush officially opened.

1997 Restoration of the Cathedral begins.

1998 - 2000 The Spires of St Mary's Cathedral, designed by Wardell, are built, completing the Cathedral.

2001 - St Mary's is the location for the celebration of the Ninth World Day of the Sick.
Clancy retires and George Pell becomes eighth Archbishop of Sydney

2003 Archdiocesan offices move to new building - the Polding Centre.
George Pell created Cardinal.