The Australian Catholic Historical Society discusses Australian Catholic history via a newsletter and meetings, and is focussed around Sydney.
Leadership The society was founded in 1940 in Sydney, by a group of students of Australian Catholic history led by Fr (later Archbishop) Eris O'Brien and Sydney solicitor Brian McGrath.Australian Catholic Historical Society website; Australian Catholic Historical Society: inaugural meeting, Catholic Press 5 Dec 1940, p. 17; B.J. McGrath, Australian Catholic Historical Society: proposed foundation in Sydney: Australian Catholic history, Journal of the Australian Catholic Historical Society, 12 (1990), 26-29; B. McAteer, Our diamond jubilee, Journal of the Australian Catholic Historical Society, 21 (2000), 59-66. It was revived in the 1960s through the efforts of Monsignor Cornelius (Con) Duffy.Monsignor C. J. Duffy (1902-1986): in memoriam, Journal of the Australian Catholic Historical Society, 8 (2) (1987), 3-12. Since then it has maintained a program of talks and published research. Currently it holds talks in Sydney monthly.Australian Catholic Historical Society newsletter, Feb 2015.
The patron is the Archbishop of Sydney. As of 2026, the president is Fr Brian Lucas.
Activities The Society publishes the Journal of the Australian Catholic Historical Society, with one issue per year. It was first published in 1954 on the recommendation of the Vatican. Since 2011 the editor has been James Franklin of the University of New South Wales. The Society also publishes four newsletters each year.
The Society has a Melbourne chapter which holds occasional talks.Australian Catholic Historical Society newsletter, Feb 2015
In 2016 the Society held a conference 'To and from the Antipodes: Catholic missionaries over two centuries'. Its proceedings appear as a special issue of the Journal.
In 2026 the Society published a book on its own history, A Dialogue Between Past and Present: The Australian Catholic Historical Society and Sydney Catholics 1940-2026.
The Society presents the James MacGinley Award for students and early career researchers writing on Australian Catholic history.
See also Catholic Church in Australia
References
External links Australian Catholic Historical Society web site