NEW NORCIA, ABBEY NULLIUS OF. - In Western Australia. In Jan. 1846 the first Catholic bishop of Perth, Msgr. G. Brady (d. 1871), reached the Colony of West Australia with two Spanish Benedictines, G. Serra and R. Salvado, sent into the heart of the Victoria Plains to found a mission among the Aborigines. This began on 1 March 1846.
At first the two missionaries set about following the Aborigines in their movements; but they soon realized they had to take up again the Benedictine system of civilization and founded the abbey of N. N., on the banks of the Moore. In 1848, Fr. Serra returned to Europe in search of aid; but in Aug. he was appointed bishop of Port Victoria and at the end of 1849 coadjutor of Msgr. Brady of Perth. Only Fr. Salvado remained, who on 19 Aug. 1849 was consecrated bishop of Port Victoria. But once this colony was dissolved, he was able, in May 1853, to return to N. N., which on 1 Apr. 1859 became a true and proper mission "sui iuris" under the interim administration of Msgr. Salvado, and was elevated on 7 Feb. 1860 to an apostolic prefecture dependent only on its own Ordinario pro tempore; on 12 March 1867 it had its territory separated from the diocese of Perth and the erection of the abbey "nullius," declared on 10 May 1887 a suffragan of Adelaide; aggregated on 12 Sept. 1900 to the Cassinese Congregation of the Primitive Observance, and on 13 Aug. 1913 constituted a suffragan of Perth.
It has an area of 45,000 sq. km., with about 12,500 inhabitants, of whom 2,165 are Catholics and 10,750 Protestants. Spanish priests 27, Australian Benedictines 5, Australian diocesan priests 4, brothers 30, sisters 47. Parishes 8, churches 8, chapels 9, orphanages 2; elementary schools 8, middle schools 4, high schools 2, vocational schools 1.