RAHS Day Lecture – A Nation Divided: The Sister Liguori Affair, 1920–21

Event Date & Time: Wednesday, 4 December 2024 @ 1.00 pm – 2.00 pm

Event Location: History House, 133 Macquarie St, Sydney NSW 2000

Cost: Free

Event Description:

When in 1920 an Irish Catholic nun, fearful she was about to be murdered by her mother superior, fled her convent in Wagga Wagga and sought the protection of the Orange Lodge, it sparked a sectarian war that divided the Australian nation. The story of Sister Liguori is a remarkable tale which, if written as a novel, would be considered too far-fetched to be acceptable as a serious work of fiction. Yet it is a true story, full of tragedy and farce with an unholy mix of politics and religion.

About the speaker:

Dr Jeff Kildea is a retired barrister and honorary professor in Irish Studies at the University of New South Wales. In 2014 he held the Keith Cameron Chair of Australian History at University College Dublin. He has written extensively on the history of the Irish in Australia. His books include Tearing the Fabric: Sectarianism in Australia 1910–1925. His latest book is Sister Liguori: The Nun who Divided a Nation.