Contact the Parish

  The Church In Australia Before 1840
The initial establishment of the Catholic faith in Australia was the work of mainly Irish men and women who clung to their Catholic identity, but, for the first thirty years, Catholicism in Australia was virtually priestless.

  The Irish in the New Colony
The story of the Irish in the new colony is the story of nine men.

  The Irish down the River
The Irish played an important role in the development and character of the new settlement in Australia.

  Social Life in Early Windsor
When the early settlers came to the Hawkesbury, the greatest need was to survive.

  The Development of Windsor Parish
Dr Polding opened St Matthew's on 21st October 1840, assisted by Rev. Ullathorne. By 1842 he was able to report that St Matthew's was completed.

  Early Parish Priests
Although the early priests, Frs Dixon (1803 - 4), Therry & Power (1820's) visited Windsor, Father Christopher Vincent Dowling, an Irish Dominican based at Parramatta, was the first to hold regular services at Windsor (1831).

  Pioneer Families in the Hawkesbury Area
An overview of the pioneer families that contributed the most to the Windsor area.

  Historic Hawkesbury Timeline
A timeline of historical events in the Hawksbury district.