How British Settlement Transformed Religion in Australia

Before 1788

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples practiced diverse spiritual traditions—Dreaming/Dreamtime beliefs connecting land, ancestors, and law—for 65,000+ years.

British Arrival (1788 Onward)

• Church of England (Anglican): Official religion of the colony; first church built in Sydney 1788; dominant denomination through 19th century
• Other Protestants: Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Congregationalist—brought by free settlers and missionaries
• Roman Catholicism: Initially restricted; first official mass 1803; grew with Irish convicts/immigrants; first Sydney church 1821
• Judaism: Present from First Fleet (convicts); first synagogue 1844

19th Century: Sectarianism & Education

Bitter Catholic-Protestant divisions shaped politics, schools, and society. State aid for church schools withdrawn (1870s–80s) → separate Catholic system.

20th Century: Diversification

• Post-WWII migration: Greek/Serbian Orthodox, Italian/Maltese Catholics, Lutherans
• 1970s onward: Vietnamese Buddhists, Lebanese Muslims, Indian Hindus/Sikhs
• 1971 Census: First "No Religion" option

Today (2021 Census)

• Christianity: 43.9% (down from 96% in 1911)
• No Religion: 38.9%
• Islam: 3.2%, Hinduism: 2.7%, Buddhism: 2.4%, Sikhism: 0.8%, Judaism: 0.4%
• Indigenous spiritualities: ~0.5% (likely undercounted)

Constitutional Framework

Section 116: No established religion; free exercise; no religious test for office. Australia is a secular state with religious pluralism—a direct legacy of British settlement's religious mix and later diversification.