Genre: Information/Explanation

Anselm Bourke Mgr Anselm Bourke , born Nicholas Bourke , ( Dublin , 10 September 1835 – West Perth , 2 June 1924 ) was a Roman Catholic priest of Irish origins . He was prominent in Catholic education for several decades , and also founded the West Perth ( now Northbridge ) parish of the Church in 1901 . He made his profession as a Benedictine monk in 1858 , but got dispensation from his monastic vows from the Vatican in 1871 ; therefore , he can not be called a Benedictine . He was still studying to become a priest of the Benedictine order when he arrived in Western Australia on 24 May 1855 aboard the Lady Amhurst with the Spanish Benedictine Father José María Benito Serra OSB - also known as Joseph Serra in Western Australia - , and several other clergymen , mostly Spaniards , but also Irish and French . He made his religious profession on 26 July 1858 , and completed his education and was ordained in 1859 . In 1860 , Bourke was appointed to teach at the Roman Catholic boys' schools at Fremantle and Perth , where he became known as an able scholar and teacher . In 1864 , he was appointed the first parish priest of York – prior to this , the parish had been administered by priests from Toodyay and New Norcia . He lived in simple quarters at the rear of the church and conducted Mass every Sunday . During his time in York , he employed ten ticket of leave men , including three as teachers . Returning to Perth in 1870 , he became the chaplain of Fremantle Prison , and taught at various schools . He got dispensation from his monastic vows on 30 April 4 , 1871 , but his name would still be the one he used in his profession , for which he was known in the Colony , not his birth one . The troublesome years of Bourke , his erratic behaviour and apparent mental problems , his difficult disengagement from the Benedictines and from New Norcia , as well as his temporary exile from Western Australia , ignored by most scholars until now , are mentioned by Dr. Teresa De Castro . In 1885 , he became the first resident priest of the Vasse region at Busselton . In 1889 , on returning to Perth , he became Vicar General for Western Australia serving under Bishop Matthew Gibney , and served voluntarily as New Norcia's agent in Perth , and canvassed the Government for a Roman Catholic representative on the Education Board . He also became active in the debate over state aid to private schools , which had existed since 1871 and had become central to the public debate leading to the June 1894 elections in Western Australia . With the help of three Catholic members of the Legislative Assembly , he founded the Education Defence League to lobby for the continuation of state aid . The normally mild-mannered priest caused some sensation at a public meeting prior to the election by suggesting violence would result if state aid were lifted . The battle was ultimately lost – the MPs who had supported him lost their seats at the election , and in late 1895 the Government passed a bill bringing the funding arrangement to an end . In August 1894 , he resigned as Vicar General , desiring to retire to New Norcia , but changed his mind thereafter , deciding that the number of Catholics arriving in Western Australia due to the gold rush and the cause of maintaining the private schools justified his continued presence . He became Chairman of the Education Board , a position which he held for a number of years . He was also a patron and benefactor of the Sisters of Mercy and financed St Mary's in Leederville and St Brigid's in West Perth , apparently from his own funds . He became a Monsignor in 1898 and the inaugural parish priest for West Perth in 1901 , residing in the Presbytery of St Brigid's in Fitzgerald Street for the rest of his life . He also became involved with the foundation of the University of Western Australia . The Archives of New Norcia keeps an important group of letters addressed from Bourke to the superiors of the monastery , especially to Bishop Rosendo Salvado OSB . Those offer a real portray of Bourke's personality , personal troubles , opinions and interests on relevant matters for his time . This information is completed by the many references to Bourke found in other letters kept in New Norcia Archives , especially in the correspondence between Bishop Martin Griver and Bishop Rosendo Salvado .