GERALDTON, DIOCESE OF. — In Australia (Western Australia). The territory of this diocese was discovered in 1848 and erected as a suffragan diocese of Adelaide on 30 January 1898; in 1913 it was made a suffragan of Perth.
The first Catholics were Irish, who were occasionally visited by a Benedictine priest from Perth. The first bishop, Mgr William B. Kelly (1857–1921), tenaciously set about organizing his vast diocese; this work was continued by his successors. There are few Aborigines, for whom two institutions have been established at Tardun. The total population is 28,752, of whom 8,082 are Catholics. There are 14 parishes, 33 churches, 16 diocesan priests, 2 religious, 18 brothers, and 123 sisters. In the various schools (28), 1,310 pupils are educated. There is also a hospital.