PARISH PRIMARY SCHOOLS: ONCE REQUIRED OF EVERY PARISH AND TRADITIONALLY RUN BY TEACHING ORDERS THESE HAVE ALWAYS FORMED THE LARGEST PART OF THE CATHOLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM. SECONDARY SCHOOLS: SECONDARY SCHOOLS WERE UNABLE TO FIT NEATLY INTO THE PAROCHIAL SYSTEM SO, THOUGH THERE WERE SOME PARISH SECONDARY SCHOOLS, THE MAJORITY WERE FOUNDED BY RELIGIOUS ORDERS AND SOME STILL BELONG TO THEM. THE DECLINE IN THE NUMBER OF RELIGIOUS AND THEIR WITHDRAWAL FROM EDUCATION HOWEVER CREATED A NEED FOR REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOLS WHICH COME UNDER THE DIOCESE. TERTIARY COLLEGES: THIS GROUP INCLUDES BOTH CATHOLIC UNIVERSITIES AND RESIDENTIAL COLLEGES AT PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES. OF THE LATTER THERE WAS ALWAYS A MIX OF ORDER AND DIOCESAN FOUNDED COLLEGES AND THESE FORMED THE PRINCIPAL CONTACT BETWEEN THE CHURCH AND THE UNIVERSITY IN AUSTRALIA. RECENTLY, HOWEVER, THERE HAS OPENED A NUMBER OF INDEPENDANT TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS, SUCH AS THE AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY. CLERICAL INSTITUTES: THE NEED FOR THE EDUCATION OF CLERICS AND RELIGIOUS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A MAJOR CONCERN OF THE CHURCH. FOR RELIGIOUS THIS WAS DONE THROUGH A NOVITIATE AND CAN BE FOUND UNDER THE APPROPRIATE ORDER. SECULAR CLERGY WERE EDUCATED IN SEMINARIES RUN BY DIOCESES OR BY PROVINCES.

THE PROVISION OF HEALTH AND MEDICAL CARE HAS BEEN A MAJOR PRE-OCCUPATION OF A NUMBER OF RELIGIOUS ORDERS STRETCHING BACK TO THE MIDDLE AGES. THE CHURCH WELCOMED THIS COMMITMENT TO THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF THE FAITHFUL AND ENCOURAGED THE SETTING UP OF SUCH INSTITUTIONS. AS WITH SCHOOLS THE VAST MAJORITY WERE ESTABLISHED BY ORDERS BUT AGAIN AS WITH SCHOOLS MANY DIOCESES HAVE FOUND THAT THEY HAVE HAD TO TAKE OVER THIS ROLE AS THE NUMBERS OF RELIGIOUS HAVE WANED. AS A FURTHER SIGN OF THE TIMES THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN COMMON WITH OTHER FAITHS HAS ESTABLISHED NUMEROUS AGED-CARE FACILITIES TO COPE WITH THE AGING POPULATION.

FOR A CHURCH COMMITTED TO THE POOR IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR LORD'S COMMANDS IT WAS A NATURAL THING TO PROVIDE SOCIAL SERVICES TO THE MARGINAL AND DISADVANTAGED. ORPHANAGES, HOMES FOR SINGLE MOTHERS, BOYS HOMES, HOMELESS REFUGES, MISSIONS TO SEAMAN AND VARIOUS CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS WERE ESTBLISHED. MOST WERE CONNECTED WITH RELIGIOUS ORDERS BUT AS IN OTHER AREAS THE BROADER CHURCH HAS HAD TO TAKE UP THE TASK IN THE LATE 20th CENTURY. THIS SECTION ALSO INCLUDES THE WORKS FOUNDED BY ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY.

APART FROM CHURCHES, RELIGIOUS FOUNDATIONS AND THE MANY AND VARIED WORKS OF THE CHURCH, A WIDE RANGE OF BUILDINGS ARE USED FOR ECCLESIASTICAL PURPOSES. FROM PRESBYTERIES AND CHURCH HALLS AT THE PARISH LEVEL TO ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES AND EPISCOPAL RESIDENCES AT THE DIOCESAN, FROM APOSTOLATES TO RETREAT CENTRES AND HOUSES OF PRAYER, THE NEEDS OF THE CHURCH ARE MANIFOLD AND BUILDINGS ARE CREATED AS NEEDED. MANY ARE NOTHING SPECIAL YET FEW ESCAPE THE ECCLESIASTICAL TOUCH AND SOME INDEED ARE ARCHITECTURAL GEMS. LISTED HERE ARE A SELECTION OF THESE OFTEN INCONSEQUENTIAL BUILDINGS THAT NONETHELESS BEAR THE STAMP OF THEIR CREATORS. THIS LIST DOES NOT INLCUDE BUILDINGS SUCH AS PRESBYTERIES WHICH ARE PART OF A PARISH COMPLEX.