 Since the arrival of the First Fleet of British ships in 1788 , Christianity has grown to be the major religion practised in Australia . Christian churches have played an integral role in the development of education , health and welfare services in Australia . For much of Australian history the Church of England ( now known as the Anglican Church of Australia ) was the largest religious denomination . However , multicultural immigration has contributed to a decline in its relative position , and the Roman Catholic Church has benefitted from recent immigration to become the largest group . Similarly , Islam , Buddhism , Hinduism and Judaism have all grown in Australia over the past half @-@ century . 
