| Jurisdiction: | Diocese |
| Rockhampton | |
| Latin: | Dioecesis Rockhamptoniensis |
| Country: | Australia |
| Territory: | Central Queensland |
| Province: | Province of Brisbane |
| Coordinates: | -23.3853°N 150.5058°W |
| Area Km2: | 415,000 |
| Population: | 372,000 |
| Population As Of: | 2004 |
| Catholics: | 95,000 |
| Catholics Percent: | 25.5% |
| Parishes: | 39 |
| Denomination: | Catholic Church |
| Sui Iuris Church: | Latin Church |
| Rite: | Roman Rite |
| Established: | 29 December 1882 |
| Cathedral: | St Joseph's Cathedral |
| Bishop: | Michael McCarthy |
| Bishop Title: | Bishop |
| Emeritus Bishops: | Brian Heenan |
| Map: | Bistum Rockhampton.svg |
| Website: | Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton |
The Diocese of Rockhampton is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Australia. It is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Brisbane. Erected in 1882, it covers Central Queensland.
The Diocese of Rockhampton was excised from the Archdiocese of Brisbane on 29 December 1882. Prior to this, the Brisbane archdiocese had responsibility for the entire state of Queensland, but the creation of the Rockhampton diocese split the state with responsibilities for the southern part of Queensland to remain with the Brisbane archdiocese while the northern part of Queensland became the responsibility of the new Rockhampton diocese.[1] [2] The Diocese of Townsville was excised from the Diocese of Rockhampton in 1930, reducing Rockampton's coverage to Central Queensland, while Townsville took responsibility for the areas further to the north.[3]
The following individuals have been elected as Roman Catholic Bishops of Rockhampton:[4]
| Order | Name | Date enthroned | Reign ended | Term of office | Reason for term end |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Cani † | 3 January 1882 | 3 March 1898 | Died in office | ||
| Joseph Higgins † | 21 September 1899 | 3 March 1905 | Appointed Bishop of Ballarat | ||
| James Duhig † | 16 September 1905 | 27 February 1912 | Elevated as Coadjutor Archbishop of Brisbane | ||
| Joseph Shiel † | 11 May 1913[5] | 7 April 1931 | Died in office | ||
| Romuald Denis Hayes, SSC † | 12 January 1932 | 25 October 1945 | Died in office | ||
| Andrew Gerard Tynan † | 31 March 1946 | 3 June 1960 | Died in office | ||
| Francis Roberts Rush † | 7 November 1960 | 5 March 1973 | Elevated as Archbishop of Brisbane | ||
| Bernard Joseph Wallace † | 24 January 1974 | 8 May 1990 | Resigned and appointed Bishop Emeritus of Rockhampton | ||
| 20 November 1992 | 1 October 2013 | Retired and appointment Bishop Emeritus of Rockhampton[6] | |||
| 29 May 2014 | present | Current[7] | |||
See main article: St Josephs Cathedral, Rockhampton.
The diocese is divided into four separate deaneries that administer individual parishes:[8]
The diocese operates many Catholic schools via its Rockhampton Catholic Education Office.