“… but in its proper place. …”Religion, Enlightenment, and A ustralia's S ecular Heritage: The Case of R obert L owe in Colonial NSW 1842–1850

Over the last few decades historians have been rediscovering A ustralia's religious heritage, often in response to entrenched narratives depicting A ustralia's social, intellectual, and political history as a triumph of secular enlightenment over vestiges of O ld W orld partnerships of religion, state, and society. That A ustralia has a rich secular heritage is indisputable, but to draw a sharp distinction between the “secular” and the “religious” is anachronistic and misguided, and any attempt to tell the story of A ustralia's secular heritage must acknowledge that the “secular” often found its justification flowing from more general religious premises grounded in enlightenment ideals such as rational religion, rational piety, and general C hristianity. Indeed, when liberal democracy was emerging in the colonies the “secular” had to be justified in terms acceptable to the public square and these terms were broadly religious. R obert L owe is an apt case study for divining the nature of the secular in colonial A ustralia, for his thought and political activity show the subtle and complex way that ideals such as “enlightenment,” “religion,” and “secular” entered into dialogue rather than warfare with one another and contributed to social institutions judged suitable for a fledgling pluralist nation.