The Catholic Overseas Relief Committee was created in 1964, which later became Caritas Australia. That same year, Catholic parishes in Adelaide conducted the first Lenten appeal that raised money for a fishing boat to support the needs of the communities in the Tiwi Islands. 

Today, Caritas Australia works in 36 countries across Africa, Asia, the Pacific, as well as First Australian communities. We are also part of one of the largest humanitarian networks in the world, Caritas Internationalis, a confederation of 162 member organisations in 200 countries all over the world, with over one million staff and volunteers.