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Most teachers in Catholic schools in colonial Australia were lay Catholics, mostly Irish immigrants, and later in the century, native-born colonists. Buth their personal stories have been elusive. Most did not leave behind sources that help us to know much about their lives, aspirations, or daily involvement in the schools where they worked. This book seeks to uncover and tell the stories of some of these colonial-era lay Catholic teachers.
The book is in two parts. The first part describes the context of Catholic schools in colonial Australia. The chapters in this part survey the political, social, economic, and ecclesial settings of colonial Catholic schools. The second part tells the stories of individual lay teachers in colonial Catholic schools. Each story illuminates an aspect of the foundations of Australian Catholic schools. Collectively, the stories provide resources for contributing to contemporary discussions about the identity of Catholic schools, past, present, and future.
The book has been written to provide a resource for scholars, administrators, teachers, parents, and anyone interested in the work of Australian Catholic schools. The presentation is scholarly, allowing access to sources for those who might take up the work of research in this area. The discussions are also accessible and suitable for a general audience, who will find these stories informative and useful for their own interests in Catholic schools. The hope is this book might inspire others to discover their own stories of lay Catholic teachers and bring them to light for modern readers.
Contributing authors:
Dr Michael Chambers
Dr Damian Gleeson
Dr Kevin Lawler
Dr Maurice Ryan is a lecturer, author and publisher. He has written, co-written, and edited a number of books and research articles including Religious Education in Catholic Schools and A Common Search. He is based in Brisbane.
