The Adelaide Archdiocesan Archives are a unique resource dating back to the early days of the Catholic Church in South Australia and represent a precious heritage of cultural and historical importance. Our role is to collect, preserve and manage the administrative papers created by the successive Archbishops of Adelaide and their associated parishes and diocesan offices and agencies. Records date back to the years prior to the establishment of the (then) diocese of Adelaide in 1842 through to the present-day. It is a wide ranging collection and includes many photographs and newspaper holdings.

To learn more about the archives, including the conditions of access, browse the various options listed in the left-hand menu.

In 1842 Rome subdivided the vast diocese of Sydney thereby creating the diocese of Adelaide and Bishop Francis Murphy (1844 -1858) was appointed as the first Bishop of Adelaide.

Adelaide remained a diocese of Sydney until 1887 when, following a recommendation from the Bishop's Plenary Council of 1885, Adelaide was made an archdiocese by Rome. The documents arrived in Australia in 1887 and Adelaide’s fourth Bishop, Bishop Christopher Reynolds became Archbishop Reynolds on 10 May that same year.

At the same time Port Augusta was made a separate diocese and South Australia became an ecclesiastical province, which it remains today.

• Bishop Francis Murphy, 1844 – 1858
• Bishop Patrick Geoghegan, 1859 – 1864
• Bishop Lawrence Sheil, 1866 – 1872
• Archbishop Christopher Reynolds, 1873 – 1893
• Archbishop John O’Reily, 1895 – 1915
• Archbishop Robert Spence, 1915 – 1934
• Archbishop Andrew Killian, 1934 – 1939
• Archbishop Matthew Beovich, 1939 – 1971
• Archbishop James Gleeson, 1971 – 1985
• Bishop (Auxiliary) Philip Kennedy, 1973 – 1982
  (Auxiliary Bishop to Archbishop Gleeson)
• Archbishop Leonard Faulkner, 1985 – 2001
• Archbishop Philip Wilson, 2001 –
• Bishop (Auxillary) Gregory O'Kelly,  2006 -
  (Auxiliary Bishop to Archbishop Wilson)