History

The genesis of the Golding Centre is to be found in the growing awareness within the Church of the need for in-depth socio-religious analysis and historical research, following the large-scale review of the Church during the Vatican Council of 1962-5. Within the Australian context this led to the establishment of the National Catholic Research Council and the undertaking by the major superiors of religious institutes of a National Research Project on Religious Life. From the latter in 1980 emerged the Institute of Religious Studies. This along with the Bishop’s “Research Project on the Participation of Women in the Catholic Church in Australia” (1996-1999) provided the immediate wider Church context for the establishment of the Golding Centre for Women’s History, Theology and Spirituality by the Foundation Team consisting of Dr Sophie McGrath rsm, Dr Rosa MacGiley pbvm and Dr Kim Power.

The members of the Foundation Team had been long aware of the neglect of women’s history and hence the inadequacy of mainstream history in society generally and in the Church in particular where theology and philosophy had traditionally been the focus of scholarly activity. Although these disciplines drew upon history they did not critique it adequately or extend its boundaries or concern themselves with the lack of women’s history.

As a result of a strongly supported proposal to the bishops “Research Project for the Participation of women in the Australian Catholic Church” the Australian Catholic University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Peter Sheehan O.A., in 1999 invited Dr Sophie McGrath to discuss the proposal with him. Following this he endorsed the commencement of a project with Dr Sophie McGrath, Dr Rosa MacGinley and Dr Kim Power as the Foundation Team working for the establishment of a research centre dedicated to research in women’s history, theology and spirituality. The project was upgraded to the status of Centre in 2003. Originally within the Institute for the Advancement of Research, in 2009 the Golding Centre was placed within the newly formed Faculty of Theology, though it has links with the other faculties since history is the meeting place of the disciplines.

The Centre is named to honour Annie and Belle Golding and their married sister Kate Dwyer, women of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, whose activism was underpinned by wide reading and in-depth research. Writing and public speaking were integral to their efforts to promote political and social reform. All three women were committed Catholics.

Detailed History

(Click here for a more detailed history)