Father Hayes' interest in the history of Australian Catholicism is also evident.

His collection contains both the 1894 and 1896 editions of The History of the Catholic Church in Australasia by Cardinal Patrick Moran, Archbishop of Sydney, shown at right.

Moran had come to Australia with an international reputation as an Irish scholar. His monumental work sought to defend and justify, not to say glorify, the role of the church in nineteenth century Australia in the face of Protestant polemics. It is, in essence, an account of the Catholic clergy in Australia notable for the absence of references to the laity.

While it does paper over the cracks of a nineteenth century Australian church riven by conflict between the English Benedictine and Irish elements in its hierarchy, it is nonetheless highly erudite and scholarly and makes valuable use of the sources available.

It remains the definitive account of its time and a valuable source for contemporary scholars of Australian history.

Father Hayes also collected manuscript material illustrating the history of Catholicism in Australia.

An appeal had been made to the Pope in the 1830s to send a Bishop to New South Wales, and Bishop John Bede Polding arrived in Sydney in September 1835.

On June 9 1836, Polding wrote to Governor Bourke, suggesting that ...on landing, some few days ­ six or eight ­ may be given principally to Religious Instruction, and Spiritual Exercises as prisoners would thus be prepared to endure, in a proper Christian spirit, the difficulties and hardships of their state... to give satisfaction to those under whom they may be placed ...

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Polding's appeal to Governor Bourke was successful. After authorities saw the effects of the retreats Polding was conducting in prison establishments, it was arranged that all newly arrived Catholic convicts would be placed in his care for some days. During this time Polding and his assistants saw each prisoner personally and did what they could before the prisoner moved on. Bishop Polding went on to become the first Archbishop of Sydney and Primate of all Australia. As Archbishop he also drew up the plan upon which St Mary's Cathedral, near Hyde Park in Sydney, was based. He laid the foundation stone in 1868, but died in 1877 before the cathedral was finished.

Then there are the books of other religions, such as hymnals and prayer books, with the Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist, Lutheran and Seventh Day Adventist Churches being represented, amongst others.

The great controversy between Christ and Satan (pictured) is one example.

This book was written by Ellen G White, a founding member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church and it was first published in the 1870s under the title The Spirit of Prophecy.

White wrote 40 books and over 5000 articles during her life, and her writings are still considered highly and recommended for study by Adventists.

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