Reverend George Henry BackhausPrint Page 
The bell tower commemorates Reverend George Henry Backhaus (1812 - 1882) who held his first mass at Bendigo near the site of this church.
Reverend Backhaus sailed from Adelaide in the Marshal Bennett on 4 March 1852 , and arrived in Melbourne eleven days later. He volunteered to make the gold diggings his mission field. An entry made by him in a family Bible states that on Sunday, 25 April 1852, he, 'having been appointed the first priest to take charge of the Catholic population on the Victorian goldfields, celebrated the first Mass in the Gold Commissioner's camp at Forest Creek diggings'. He said the first Sunday Mass in the Bendigo area on 2 May 1852.
Location
| Address: | 181 McCrae Street, St Kilians Catholic Church, Bendigo, 3550 |
|---|---|
| State: | VIC |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -36.755226 Long: 144.284218 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Structure |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Religion |
| Approx. Event Start Date: | 1852 |
| Approx. Event End Date: | 1882 |
| Link: | http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/adbonli… |
Dedication
This tower has been erected to the memory of the Very Rev Dr Backhaus
Pioneer priest of Bendigo 1852 - 1882
Who died Septr 1882 Aged 72 years
May he rest in peace
By J O`Connell nee Halfpenny
