Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The Irish (Catholics) were regarded as "scum" by most of the English authorities.
They were portrayed as uneducated as many refused to send their children to schools
run by the Church of England. They were accused of being immoral as many couples
lived in de-facto relationships rather than being married according to a rite of the
Church of England. They were also regarded as irreligious as many refused to have
their children baptised in the Church of England.
Education issue
Education became an important political issue which was played out according to
sectarian divisions. Catholics were determined to establish Catholic schools for their
children. Government decisions made it extremely difficult to maintain these schools.
Catholics saw the schools as a kind of symbol of their freedom and went to great
lengths to ensure their continuation.
Employment practices
Sectarianism can also be seen in the types of employment practices which were
evident up until the early 1900's. Most businesses were owned and run by people of
Protestant background and many of these employers held deep feelings of mistrust
towards Catholics. Accordingly it was relatively common to see notices regarding
positions vacant to include the qualification "Catholics need not apply".
One of the few places where discrimination in employment was not practised was in
the Public Service. Consequently and not surprisingly, many Catholics were attracted
to work in the public sector and have traditionally been overrepresented in these jobs.
Public Service examination
With this in mind, Catholic schools had a strong focus on preparing their students to
pass the annual Public Service examination which would then provide them with
secure employment relatively free from sectarian discrimination.
Conscription debate
A further element which fuelled the sectarianism between Protestants and Catholics in
Australia, was the bitter debate over conscription in World War I. The government had
sought to introduce conscription to bolster the numbers of soldiers it could send to
the front in support of Britain. To do this required the successful passage of a
referendum on the issue.
Leaders of the Protestant Churches and in particular the Church of England urged
citizens to show loyalty to Britain and support the referendum. Catholic leaders by
contrast were strident in their opposition to the idea of conscription.
This opposition led to a great escalation of hostility towards Catholics who were
considered as traitors. The conscription issue went to two referenda. Both were
defeated leaving a great feeling of resentment towards Catholics who were vilified for
their stance.
Despite the strident, public opposition of Catholic leaders to conscription, it is
evident, nevertheless, that many Protestants shared their opposition. Catholics
were barely 10% of the population at the time and it would have taken a significant
number of Protestants to also oppose the issue for the referenda to be defeated.
Later in the 20th century, in the aftermath of World War I & II and the Great
Depression, there was a considerable softening of sectarian rivalry which would
ultimately give way to ecumenical cooperation.