Norman Thomas Gilroy was born in 1896 in a rented cottage in the working class suburb of Glebe in Sydney, Australia. His mortal remains now lie three kilometres away in the crypt of St Mary’s Cathedral among six other Archbishops of Sydney. His long career as Archbishop (1940-71) and his appointment as Cardinal in 1946 made him a name familiar to generations of Australians. He presided over the most populous Catholic diocese in Australia in an era shaped by World War II, post-war immigration, the Cold War and the protest movements of the 1960s.
Historian John Luttrell, FMS, PhD, has lectured in Church history in tertiary institutions in Australia for many years.
This is the first extended biography of the first Australian-born Cardinal.