Welcome

The Christian History Research website contains a large collection of information and resources to help you understand more about Australia's Christian heritage. Resources can be used online and many can be downloaded for educational use and personal research.

Included on the site you will find interactive applications, books, documents, maps, video, audio, and more. Whatever your purpose is for researching Australia's Christian history, we trust you will find this site helpful.

Correction on Caroline Chisholm: Later, when marrying, she became a Catholic. There was a condition that her husband Captain Archibald Chisholm would support her if God was to call her to a special act of public service.

Special Feature

The History of Why Nations Collapse Can Teach Us How to Restore Our Own Nation

Ron Ross article

Read full article:

Dr. Kevin Donnelly interview on why our society, education & history are being undermined

Dr. Kevin Donnelly AM, Senior Research Fellow at the Australian Catholic University, is one of Australia's leading education authors and commentators. Kevin co-chaired the review of the National Curriculum in 2014.

John talks to him about the state of school education in Australia today and expounds some of the reasons why Australian students are not performing as well now as they did in previous generations. An excellent interview of 45 minutes.

John Anderson Interview:

A/Professor Stuart Piggin talking on Australia's Cultural Heritage.

John Anderson Interview:

with world-renowned Stanford University Historian Niall Ferguson about the history, standing, and trajectory of Western Civilisation.

Vision Christian Radio Interview:

with Dr. Augusto Zimmerman on his First Volume of "Christian Foundations of the Common Law"

Common Law

Remembering Our Queen and Christian Constitutional Monarchy

Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022)

Queen Elizabeth II

...the longest-living and longest-reigning British monarch, died at the age of 96 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

To learn more, follow the links on this site:

The Queen's Coronation:

Our Heritage of Freedom:

The Queen's funeral and committal services:

King Charles III Coronation Service:

King Charles Coronation

Highlights (23 minutes):

Full Service (3 hours 17 minutes):

The Archbishop of Canterbury’s Sermon:

Christian Foundations of the Common Law Vol III: Australia

Common Law Volume 3

The third and final volume of the 3-volume collection on the ‘Christian Foundations of the Common Law’ Volume III: Australia by Prof Augusto Zimmermann (Connor Court, 2018). This final volume traces the historical and inextricable nexus between Australian law and Christianity.

While the Australian legal tradition cannot lay claim to the historical depth it has in America and England, it was undeniably built on a similar solid Christian foundation. To state that Christianity is infused in both the legal and governmental institutions and customs of Australia is a fact which history fully supports.

Israel

The Battle of Megiddo Centenary 19-25 September 2018 and the Liberation of Israel

First the Battle of Beersheba led to the liberation of Jerusalem, the following year the Battle of Megiddo led to the liberation of Israel. Read more about the Battle of Megiddo at the website of The National Army Museum, London.

Featured Articles

Anzac Day Origins:

Canon DJ Garland and Trans-Tasman Commemoration

Anzac Day Origin

by John A. Moses and George F. Davis.

What is National Christian Heritage Sunday?

By: Dr Graham McLennan

National Christian Heritage Sunday celebrates the Gospel of Jesus Christ arriving on Australia’s shores. The date for 2021 will be Sunday 4th February.

Graham McLennan

Australia’s first minister, Rev. Richard Johnson, arrived with the first fleet on the 20th January 1788. Then, on 3rd February 1788, Rev. Johnson held the first Christian service in Australia. This event is celebrated on the first Sunday in February each year.

Read full article:

God's Grace over Australia - The Hand of God: His Story of Australia

by Graham McLennan

The Fountain of Public Prosperity

Evangelical Christians in Australian History 1740-1914
By Stuart Piggin and Robert D. Linder

The Fountain of Public Prosperity

This well-researched, academic book of 670+ pages says:

"The official religion brought to Australia with the First Fleet was Evangelical Christianity, the 'vital religion' then shaping public policy through William Wilberforce and his fellow evangelicals. That it has shaped Australian history ever since, making a substantial contribution to the public prosperity of the nation, is an untold story."

Evangelical Christians in Australian History 1914-2014

Attending the National Soul

National Soul

640+ pages

The authors offer an extensive treatment of evangelical involvement in World Wars I and II and in the wars in Korea and Vietnam as well as social issues from a conservative, progressive, liberal, and Pentecostal background.

One People, One Destiny:

A Christian History of Australia

One People One Destiny

by Mike Spencer. 368 pages and well illustrated.

We're 40 Indigenous People from Across Australia

Our walk with Jesus has transformed our lives, our families, and our communities.

Please (40stories.com.au)

A Tribute to Australian Christians

The purpose of this Tribute to Influential Australian Christians website is to provide one form of acknowledgement of the Christian men and women who have contributed to the development of the Australian nation, in which we are now privileged to live.

Our Christian Heritage

Our Christian Heritage

This 97-slide presentation is a comprehensive overview of Australia's Christian Heritage.

The Hand of God Interactive

The Hand of God

Through this interactive presentation you will be able to explore the lives of many people from Australia's history. You will also explore some of the key events that have shaped this nation.

Emerging from the many sections of this presentation is a picture of the very clear influence of God in the discovery and foundation of Australia.

John Flynn Interactive

John Flynn

Take an interactive journey through the life of the man who started the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Dr. Christopher Reynold's latest book Leaders and Larrikins. Please read the First Chapter which is on William Dampier.

These two books available from Reynold Learning

Going for Gold

Reflecting on the Sydney Olympics in 2000 it is interesting to know the gold for the Gold Medals came from the Orange district especially Ophir named after the many Biblical references to fine gold.

Cadia mine near Orange has for many years mined over a billion dollars of gold annually and has sufficient gold deposits in the region to continue mining for several decades.

Ophir's Gold Heart

The first gold nugget found in 1851 was by a Christian family member William Tom and his brother James, two sons of Pastor Tom as well as their friend John Lister.

Pastor Tom preached from Pulpit Rock at Byng especially among the Wesleyan Cornish settlers. Please watch this three-minute video scrolling down to Australian National Days of Prayer which outlines a remarkable day of prayer and fasting in 1838 when the severe drought was broken but only within seven miles around where the Byng Cornish settlement prayed!

As the first payable gold found in Australia, Edward Hargraves received the reward though the Tom brothers first found the precious metal along with John Lister.

Earlier discoveries of gold had been made by Europeans such as the convicts building the road over the Blue Mountains in 1814. As the government didn't want this disclosed threats of punishment were made to them. Apparently, some were flogged to make an impression on the convicts to not spread the word!

For further information, these four links help:

National Christian Heritage Sunday

http://www.nchs.net.au

National Christian Heritage Sunday celebrates the Gospel of Jesus Christ arriving on Australia's shores. Australia's first minister was the Reverend Richard Johnson. He arrived with the first fleet. On 3rd February 1788, Rev. Johnson held the first Christian service in Australia. The day will now be celebrated on the first Sunday in February each year. The date for 2024 will be Sunday 4th February.

On this website you will find information and resources about:
Participating in National Christian Heritage Sunday
Richard Johnson and the First Christian Service in Australia

Listen to this podcast on Australia's First Minister Richard Johnson and the First Christian Service on Australian Soil.