Richard Docherty

Richard Docherty (15 May 1899– 1 May 1979) was a Catholic priest who established the Port Keats Catholic Mission, now known as Wadeye in the Northern Territory of Australia.^[1][2]

Biography

In 1899, Docherty was born in Urwin, Western Australia. 28 years later, in 1927, he was ordained as a priest, Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (M.S.C.). A year later, he moved to Darwin and then, in 1935, to Werntek Nganayi (or Werntekngnanyi) where he founded a Catholic Mission; this site is now also known as 'Old Mission'.^[3] Here, on 23 June 1935, the community held their first mass.^[1][4]

In 1939, he moved the mission to Wadeye, 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) inland from the original site and he stayed for 19 years, his longest place of residence since being ordained.^[3]

In 1958, Docherty moved to the city of Sydney where he stayed for a year before moving to Hammond Island, a small island in the Torres Strait between Australia and Papua New Guinea. He remained here for 9 years, before returning to the town of Darwin in 1968. 4 years later, he moved south to Daly River.

In 1978, he was awarded the Order of Australia, becoming a Member of the Order of Australia.

He died the following year, while visiting Perth, and was buried in Wadeye.^[5]