Gooday. Here is an excerpt from a feature article: Australia's Christian Heritage"
by Dr. Graham Mc Lennan, a Christian historian and chairman of the National Alliance of Christian Leaders.

Having just celebrated Australia day we as Australians need to reflect on our foundations and recognise the hand of God in the commencement of our nation.
While many Australians look to a convict past with its fear of authority, its feeling of inferiority, rejection, isolation and  lonliness. There is another history yet to be written, that of our Christian forefathers and their faith and their contribution to the kingdom of God.

Australia's oldest parliament (NSW) opens with prayer. "Almighty God we humbly beseech you to vouchsafe thy blessing upon this parliament, direct and prosper our deliberations to the advancement of your glory and the true welfare of the people, our state and Australia Amen".

Early Christian influences
The first Christian minister came with the first fleet. His name was Richard Johnson an Evangelical churchman, he brought with him many bibles, books of common prayer.. and on Sunday February 3rd 1788 he conducted the first Christian service on Australian soil using as his text Psalm 116:12 "What shall I render unto  the Lord for all His benefits towards  me ?"

Most of the colonies early leadership came from the Evangelical Christian community, many of which were chaplains. Governors  such as Hunter, Macquarie and Brisbane and a number of judge advocates as well as the editor of Australia's first newspaper were strongly committed to Christian views as  were many school teachers.

Governor  Macquarie was always trying to improve the moral and religious well being of the colony, hoping that those in his care would become good Christians.
He personally  promoted the British and Foreign Bible Society and the Sunday School movement.
He also personally encouraged Christian education commencing a number of schools under the supervision of the Government  chaplains so that by 1817 the most common discussion in the pages of the Sydney Gazette was on the merits of bible reading.

Captain Charles Sturt the great  Australian pioneer and explorer of the inland was a man of considerable courage, faith and prayer and was responsible for opening most of Southern Australia to free settlement. Throughout the pages of his journals Sturt shares his faith constantly, especially when writing to his wife. He would pray continually for guidance, committing each day's journey to God.

Other Australian Pioneers
There was Carolyn Chisholm who in 6 years settled 11000 people as servants and farmers in NSW.
We had Ludwig Leichardt who explored much of Australia's North; the Rev John Flynn founded the Flying Doctor Service and the Australian Inland Mission.
Australia's first Prime Minister, Edmund Barton and another Prime Minister, George Reid were trained in public speaking and were inspired to enter public life through the vision of a Christian minister, a Dr. Steel.

In recent times we find, in Australia, committed Christians involved in every major area of life, judges, politicians, businessmen, educationalists, artists. Christians have been at the very forefront of community awareness campaigns and public movements active in preserving Australia's constitutional heritage and democratic freedoms.

Thus we can see that Australia's discovery, settlement and growth can easily be explained in terms of God's intentions for our nation. God has used His men and women to lead in so many areas of development that even the most humanist historian would have difficulty explaining away the mass of evidence for the hand of God on this country.

If the past is misinterpreted then so is the significance of the future. It is important that we don't  continue to be deceived by the secularisation process which denies the  sovereignty of God in history.
Christians in Australia can rejoice in the contribution of our Christian forebears and confidently step out in faith aware of God's great  intentions for our island.