Diocese of Ballarat
Ballaraten(sis)
Suffragan diocese · Latin Church · Ballarat, Australia
The Diocese of Ballarat covers the western third of Victoria, Australia. It was erected as a see in 1874 and is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Melbourne, with Mark Freeman ordained and installed as its ninth bishop on 19 March 2026.
The see
- Rank
- Suffragan diocese
- Tradition
- Latin Church
- Erected
- 30 March 1874
- Latin
- Ballaraten(sis)
- Annuario code
- 001000801
The see in figures
- Catholics
- 97,900
- Population
- 384,000
- Catholic shareof the people living within its bounds
- 25.5%
- Priests
- 50
- Catholics per priest
- 1,958
- Extent
- 58,000 km²
- Catholics per km²
- 1.7
Figures as recorded in the register, from the Annuario Pontificio and the see's own published statements. Shares and ratios are computed from the two figures shown beside them.
The bishop
- Bishop
- Mark Freeman
- Born
- 17 July 1949
- Birthplace
- Newcastle
- Institute
- CONGREGAZIONE DEL SANTISSIMO REDENTORE (REDENTORISTI O LIGUORINI) (C.SS.R.)
A see whose chair stands empty is recorded as vacant rather than filled with a guess. On what a bishop is, see the bishop.
The cathedral
St Patrick's Cathedral, Ballarat stands in Ballarat, the church that holds the cathedra from which this see takes its name.
On what a cathedral is, see the cathedral; every see church on earth is gathered at the cathedrals.
The province of Melbourne
A suffragan of Archdiocese of Melbourne.
The sees of this province:
- Archdiocese of MelbourneMelbourne
- Diocese of Saints Peter and Paul of MelbourneMelbourne
- Diocese of SaleSale
- Diocese of SandhurstSandhurst
On how the Church is ordered into provinces, see the diocese.
History
Established in 1874 and based in Ballarat, Australia, this Roman Catholic diocese is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Melbourne within that ecclesiastical province. Its territory takes in the west, Wimmera and Mallee regions of Victoria, and its cathedral is St Patrick's Cathedral, Ballarat. The diocese has been prominent in Australia for its number of cases of sexual abuse by clergy and members of religious orders.
Catholic Intelligence
Get early access
We are indexing the whole visible Church: every diocese and parish on earth, searchable and mapped, with Mass times, clergy, and diocesan contacts. Launching soon. Sign up to be first in when it opens, starting with [object Object].
One email at launch. Nothing else.
Already have access? Sign inSources
The see's own website · Wikipedia
Compiled from the published statements of the see and the references of the Holy See, among them the Annuario Pontificio. Corrections: hello@catholicintelligence.com.