When Australia was first colonised in 1788, it was initially planned to be a convict settlement for the criminals of the British Isle. With over 80% of the people aboard the First Fleet being convicts, it was clear that religion was not of major importance to those who were punished. Thus, even before Australia was officially settled, the people on board the First Fleet expressed a secular train of thought. Survival came before religion with regards to this dumping ground.

The First Fleet in 1788 arrived with a number of different religions. These included the Church of England, Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Jewish and even Pagan. Since the majority of convicts were from Britain and Scotland, the dominant religions were the Church of England and Roman Catholic. On this arrival, it was noted that the number of convicts belonging to the Church of England outweighed that of the Catholics. Also, these early...