THE DISCALCED CARMELITE FRIARS BEGAN AS A REFORM MOVEMENT WITHIN THE CARMELITE ORDER. ST TERESA OF JESUS HAD COMMENCED THIS REFORM MOVEMENT IN 1562 AT AVILA AND HAD SUBSEQUENTLY FOUNDED SEVERAL CONVENTS OF REFORMED NUNS. A FEW YEARS LATER SHE RECEIVED PERMISSION TO FOUND MONASTERIES OF REFORMED FRIARS AND SET ABOUT FINDING COLLABORATORS TO HELP HER. AMONG THOSE WHO CAME FORWARD WAS A YOUNG FRIAR LATER NAMED JOHN OF THE CROSS WHO ENTHUSIASTICALLY EMBRACED THE REFORM. WITH HIS HELP TERESA FOUNDED TWO MONASTERIES OF REFORMED FRIARS. THERE FOLLOWED MANY DIFFICULT YEARS BEFORE THE DISCALCED CARMELITES BECAME AN INDEPENDANT ORDER AND WERE ABLE TO ESTABLISH THEMSELVES ON A FIRM FOOTING BUT TERESA AND JOHN HELD FIRM AND EVENTUALLY THEIR REFORM MOVEMENT SUCCEEDED. IN KEEPING WITH THE VISION OF ST TERESA THE DISCALCED CARMELITES BECAME AN ENGINE OF THE COUNTER-REFORMATION IN EUROPE AND OF MISSIONARY WORK OVERSEAS. TODAY THE FRIARS OF THE TERESIAN CARMEL ARE FOUND ALL OVER THE WORLD PROVIDING RETREATS AND WORKING IN PARISHES THUS CONTINUING THE CHARISM OF THEIR TWO FOUNDERS.

DURING THE LATTER PART OF THE 19th CENTURY A FOUNDATION OF CARMELITE NUNS WAS MADE IN SYDNEY. FROM THIS SEED GREW SEVERAL FOUNDATIONS OF NUNS INCLUDING ONE IN BRISBANE. THE NUNS WERE VERY CONSCIOUS OF THE LACK OF FRIARS IN AUSTRALIA ESPECIALLY AS THE FOUNDATIONS OF DISCALCED CARMELITE NUNS AND FRIARS USUALLY WENT HAND IN HAND. ACCORDINGLY THE SUPERIORESS OF THE BRISBANE CARMEL PREVAILED UPON ARCHBISHOP DUHIG TO INVITE SOME FRIARS TO HIS DIOCESE. IN 1948 A GROUP OF FRIARS FROM THE ANGLO-IRISH PROVINCE ARRIVED IN BRISBANE. THEY SPREAD FROM THENCE TO WESTERN AUSTRALIA, VICTORIA AND NEW SOUTH WALES. TODAY THEY WORK MAINLY IN PARISHES AND IN PROVIDING RETREATS.