Therry, John Joseph (1790-1864), an Irish Roman Catholic priest, landed with his superior, Philip Conolly, in Sydney in 1820. They were the first officially recognized Roman Catholic missionaries to arrive in Sydney. Conolly went to Hobart, Tasmania in 1821, leaving Therry as the only priest on the mainland until 1826. In 1821, Therry founded St. Mary’s Church in Sydney, later St. Mary’s Cathedral, the first Roman Catholic cathedral in the city. He built schools in Sydney and Parramatta in 1824. He also built churches in Hobart and Launceston. Therry was born in Cork, Ireland. He was ordained a priest in 1815. Therry died on May 25, 1864.
