Diocesan Profiles

Listing of Australian Dioceses

There are 28 Geographical Dioceses in Australia of the Latin Rite Catholic Church, plus the Military Ordinariate. In addition there are 4 dioceses of the Eastern Catholic Churches (Maronite, Melkite, Ukrainian and Chaldean).

In the 2006 Census, there was a total of 5,126,884 Catholics from a total population of 19,855,288, or 25.8% Catholic. There were 2,462,136 males (48%) and 2,664,748 females (52%).

More information available here.
Choose your Diocese from the following list:

Canberra & Goulburn Archdiocese

Total Catholics: 159,742 (Total Persons: 562,216)
Per cent Catholic: 28.4
Number of Parishes: 55
Average size of Parishes: 2,904 Catholics
& 10,222 people.

Other Christian Churches

Anglicans: 123,405 | Orthodox: 9,479
Uniting Church: 26,342 | Lutheran: 5,931 | Baptists: 6,852 | Brethren: 549
Churches of Christ: 541 | Pentecostal: 4,584 | Reformed and Presbyterian: 17890
Jehovahs Witnesses: 1,571 | Latter Day Saints (Mormons): 888
Seventh Day Adventist: 1,009 | Salvation Army: 1,791
Other Protestant: 1,101 | Other Christian: 9,444
Total Christian: 371,119

Other Religions
Buddhism: 8,551; Hinduism: 3,506; Islam: 4,993; Judaism: 705; Other Religions: 2,897
No Religion: 110,461
Other Religious Affiliation: 3,793
Religious Affiliation Not Stated: 56,191

Per cent Christian: 66.0
Per cent Non Christian: 3.7
Per cent No Religion: 19.6
Per cent Religious Affiliation Not Stated: 10.0
Information by sex
Catholic Males: 77,194 | Catholic Females: 82,548 | Catholic Persons: 159,742
Total Males: 277,974 | Total Females: 284,242
Per cent Catholic - males: 27.8 | Per cent Catholic - females: 29.0 | Per cent Catholic - total: 28.4
Comparison to 2001 Census
Catholic Persons (2001): 160,037
Total Persons (2001): 549,133
Per cent Catholic (2001) 29.1
Change in Catholic Population from 2001 to 2006: -295

Melbourne Archdiocese

Total Catholics: 1,061,560 (Total Persons: 3,756,586)
Per cent Catholic: 28.3
Number of Parishes: 225
Average size of Parishes: 4,718 Catholics
& 16,696 people.

Other Christian Churches

Anglicans: 463,077 | Orthodox: 223,818
Uniting Church: 162,593 | Lutheran: 26,836 | Baptists: 54,383 | Brethren: 2,788
Churches of Christ: 10,202 | Pentecostal: 29,433 | Reformed and Presbyterian: 91,841
Jehovahs Witnesses: 9,966 | Latter Day Saints (Mormons): 7,583
Seventh Day Adventist: 6,491 | Salvation Army: 8,753
Other Protestant: 10,144 | Other Christian: 57,979
Total Christian: 2,227,447

Other Religions
Buddhism: 125,314; Hinduism: 39,692; Islam: 101,284; Judaism: 40,652; Other Religions: 22,355
No Religion: 754,656
Other Religious Affiliation: 29,371
Religious Affiliation Not Stated: 415,815

Per cent Christian: 59.3
Per cent Non Christian: 8.8
Per cent No Religion: 20.1
Per cent Religious Affiliation Not Stated: 11.1
Information by sex
Catholic Males: 507,090 | Catholic Females: 554,470 | Catholic Persons: 1,061,560
Total Males: 1,840,836 | Total Females: 1,915,750
Per cent Catholic - males: 27.5 | Per cent Catholic - females: 28.9 | Per cent Catholic - total: 28.3
Comparison to 2001 Census
Catholic Persons (2001): 1,029,353
Total Persons (2001): 3,518,627
Per cent Catholic (2001) 29.3
Change in Catholic Population from 2001 to 2006: 32,207

Ballarat Diocese

Total Catholics: 98,992 (Total Persons: 396,321)
Per cent Catholic: 25.0
Number of Parishes: 52
Average size of Parishes: 1,904 Catholics
& 7,622 people.

Other Christian Churches

Anglicans: 62,338 | Orthodox: 1,954
Uniting Church: 50,279 | Lutheran: 9,889 | Baptists: 4,128 | Brethren: 630
Churches of Christ: 3,060 | Pentecostal: 3,271 | Reformed and Presbyterian: 20,115
Jehovahs Witnesses: 1,227 | Latter Day Saints (Mormons): 524
Seventh Day Adventist: 848 | Salvation Army: 1,952
Other Protestant: 670 | Other Christian: 5,066
Total Christian: 264,943

Other Religions
Buddhism: 1,679; Hinduism: 453; Islam: 1,334; Judaism: 112; Other Religions: 1,149
No Religion: 79,265
Other Religious Affiliation: 2,430
Religious Affiliation Not Stated: 44,956

Per cent Christian: 66.9
Per cent Non Christian: 1.2
Per cent No Religion: 20.0
Per cent Religious Affiliation Not Stated: 11.3
Information by sex
Catholic Males: 47,711 | Catholic Females: 51,281 | Catholic Persons: 98,992
Total Males: 195,044 | Total Females: 201,277
Per cent Catholic - males: 24.5 | Per cent Catholic - females: 25.5 | Per cent Catholic - total: 25.0
Comparison to 2001 Census
Catholic Persons (2001): 98,426
Total Persons (2001): 385,417
Per cent Catholic (2001) 25.5
Change in Catholic Population from 2001 to 2006: 566

Sandhurst Diocese

Total Catholics: 90,152 (Total Persons: 343,574)
Per cent Catholic: 26.2
Number of Parishes: 42
Average size of Parishes: 2,146 Catholics
& 8,180 people.

Other Christian Churches

Anglicans: 66,163 | Orthodox: 1,906
Uniting Church: 35,014 | Lutheran: 2,887 | Baptists: 4,594 | Brethren: 506
Churches of Christ: 913 | Pentecostal: 3,836 | Reformed and Presbyterian: 14750
Jehovahs Witnesses: 1,182 | Latter Day Saints (Mormons): 508
Seventh Day Adventist: 500 | Salvation Army: 1,281
Other Protestant: 509 | Other Christian: 5,044
Total Christian: 229,745

Other Religions
Buddhism: 1,281; Hinduism: 382; Islam: 2,912; Judaism: 100; Other Religions: 921
No Religion: 69,640
Other Religious Affiliation: 2,151
Religious Affiliation Not Stated: 36,442

Per cent Christian: 66.9
Per cent Non Christian: 1.6
Per cent No Religion: 20.3
Per cent Religious Affiliation Not Stated: 10.6
Information by sex
Catholic Males: 43,629 | Catholic Females: 46,523 | Catholic Persons: 90,152
Total Males: 168,734 | Total Females: 174,840
Per cent Catholic - males: 25.9 | Per cent Catholic - females: 26.6 | Per cent Catholic - total: 26.2
Comparison to 2001 Census
Catholic Persons (2001): 88,776
Total Persons (2001): 331,894
Per cent Catholic (2001) 26.7
Change in Catholic Population from 2001 to 2006: 1,376

Sale Diocese

Total Catholics: 103,657 (Total Persons: 428,205)
Per cent Catholic: 24.2
Number of Parishes: 27
Average size of Parishes: 3,839 Catholics
& 15,869 people.

Other Christian Churches

Anglicans: 79,102 | Orthodox: 5,641
Uniting Church: 25,704 | Lutheran: 2,647 | Baptists: 5,776 | Brethren: 936
Churches of Christ: 1,278 | Pentecostal: 4,989 | Reformed and Presbyterian: 16343
Jehovahs Witnesses: 1,749 | Latter Day Saints (Mormons): 1,252
Seventh Day Adventist: 1,022 | Salvation Army: 1,619
Other Protestant: 920 | Other Christian: 7,294
Total Christian: 259,929

Other Religions
Buddhism: 4,223; Hinduism: 1,883; Islam: 3,804; Judaism: 214; Other Religions: 1,795
No Religion: 101,437
Other Religious Affiliation: 2,982
Religious Affiliation Not Stated: 51,938

Per cent Christian: 60.7
Per cent Non Christian: 2.8
Per cent No Religion: 23.7
Per cent Religious Affiliation Not Stated: 12.1
Information by sex
Catholic Males: 50,161 | Catholic Females: 53,496 | Catholic Persons: 103,657
Total Males: 211,247 | Total Females: 216,958
Per cent Catholic - males: 23.7 | Per cent Catholic - females: 24.7 | Per cent Catholic - total: 24.2
Comparison to 2001 Census
Catholic Persons (2001): 92,750
Total Persons (2001): 371,992
Per cent Catholic (2001) 24.9
Change in Catholic Population from 2001 to 2006: 10,907