Patrick James O'Farrell (17 September 1933 – 25 December 2003
) was a historian known for his histories of
Roman Catholicism in Australia
The Catholic Church in Australia is part of the worldwide Catholic Church under the spiritual and administrative leadership of the Holy See. From origins as a suppressed, mainly Irish minority in early colonial times, the church has grow ...
,
Irish history
The first evidence of human presence in Ireland dates to around 34,000 years ago, with further findings dating the presence of ''Homo sapiens'' to around 10,500 to 7,000 BC. The receding of the ice after the Younger Dryas cold phase of the Qua ...
and
Irish Australian
Irish Australians () are residents of Australia who are either fully or partially of Irish people, Irish descent. Irish immigrants and their descendants have had a prominent presence in Australian society since the First Fle ...
history.
Early life and family
O'Farrell was born on 17 September 1933, in
Greymouth
Greymouth () (Māori language, Māori: ''Māwhera'') is the largest town in the West Coast, New Zealand, West Coast List of regions in New Zealand, region in the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the Grey District Council. The populat ...
, New Zealand,
into an
Irish Catholic
Irish Catholics () are an ethnoreligious group native to Ireland, defined by their adherence to Catholic Christianity and their shared Irish ethnic, linguistic, and cultural heritage.The term distinguishes Catholics of Irish descent, particul ...
family. He was educated at the
Marist Brothers High School, Greymouth, and at
Canterbury University College, where he graduated
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...
with second-class honours in history in 1956.
Having moved to
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
in 1956, O'Farrell earned a
PhD
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...
from the
Australian National University
The Australian National University (ANU) is a public university, public research university and member of the Group of Eight (Australian universities), Group of Eight, located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton, A ...
in 1960 on the development of
Harry Holland, an early
Labour Party leader in New Zealand, as a militant socialist.
On 29 December 1956, O'Farrell married Deirdre Genevieve MacShane, and the couple went on to have five children.
Academic career
O'Farrell was appointed as a lecturer in history at the
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales (UNSW) is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was established in 1949.
The university comprises seven faculties, through which it offers bachelor's, master's and docto ...
in 1959, rising to become a professor in 1972.
On his retirement in 1990, he was conferred with the title of
professor emeritus
''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retirement, retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus".
...
.
O'Farrell's first research interests were in
Labour history with the 1964 publication of a work on Harry Holland. The appearance in 1968 of his book ''The Catholic Church in Australia'' led to his recognition as the leading historian of the Catholic Church and community in Australia. He subsequently also became well known for his major contributions to the writing of
Irish history
The first evidence of human presence in Ireland dates to around 34,000 years ago, with further findings dating the presence of ''Homo sapiens'' to around 10,500 to 7,000 BC. The receding of the ice after the Younger Dryas cold phase of the Qua ...
and of
Irish Australian
Irish Australians () are residents of Australia who are either fully or partially of Irish people, Irish descent. Irish immigrants and their descendants have had a prominent presence in Australian society since the First Fle ...
history. As an opponent of social history 'from below', he initiated a polemic against
oral history
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information from
people, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews. These interviews are conducted with people who pa ...
in the 1980s.
Bibliography
*''Harry Holland: Militant Socialist'' (1964)
*''The Catholic Church in Australia: A Short History 1788-1967'' (1968)
*''Documents in Australian Catholic History 1788-1968'' (1969)
*''Ireland’s English Question: Anglo-Irish Relations 1534-1970'' (1971)
*''England and Ireland since 1800'' (1975)
*
**
[Revised edition of ''The Catholic church and community in Australia : a history'' (1977).]
**
*''Letters from Irish Australia 1825-1929'' (1984)
*
**
**
*
*''Through Irish Eyes: Australian and New Zealand Images of the Irish 1788-1948'' (1994)
*''UNSW: a Portrait'' (1999)
References
Further reading
*
External links
Patrick O'Farrell websitePatrick O'Farrell at the National Library of Australia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ofarrell, Patrick
1933 births
2003 deaths
University of Canterbury alumni
Australian National University alumni
Academic staff of the University of New South Wales
People from Greymouth
New Zealand Roman Catholics
New Zealand people of Irish descent
New Zealand emigrants to Australia
20th-century Australian historians
People educated at John Paul II High School, Greymouth