Fewer Toowoomba residents identify as religious according to 2021 Census results

Pastor Bill Whyte has been answering the call of God for more than 20 years in “Christ-centred” Toowoomba in southern Queensland.  

The ultra-conservative city has long been considered the heart of Australia's “Bible belt”, but the latest census results show the city is shrugging off that title as fewer people identify as religious. 

The census result was no surprise to Mr Whyte, who has served as a pastor in Queensland and South Australia.

Toowoomba pastor Bill Whyte says he was not surprised by the 2021 Census results.(ABC Southern Queensland: David Chen)

Census results

Toowoomba has had a long history with religion, stretching from early settlement when priests would conduct services in homesteads to the city's association with Christian fundamentalist movements.

The 2021 Census shows Catholicism remains the region's dominant religion. The number of worshippers remains relatively stable, with 20 per cent saying they belong to the Catholic Church compared to 20.7 per cent in 2016.

But like the rest of Australia, Toowoomba residents are now increasingly unlikely to worship a God. More than 54,000 people, or 31.7 per cent, said they had no religion in the latest census.

That was almost 10 per cent more than in 2016. 

Cultural change afoot

University of Southern Queensland religion researcher Marcus Harmes said for a city long dominated by its conservative politics and churches, the census showed big changes were afoot.

“It has always been Catholic first, followed by Anglican, with many other churches under that,” Professor Harmes said.

“Adelaide lays claim to being the city of churches, but I think [Toowoomba] could probably take a close second there.

St James Anglican Church in Toowoomba.(By: ABC Belinda Sanders)

Professor Harmes said he believed people were being more honest on their census forms, which played a role in the result but also represented a cultural shift.

“Our population is diversifying … people from a whole host of backgrounds are now living in the city,” he said.

Generational shift in attitudes

Professor Harmes said the results also mirrored changes happening nationally.

“We have a shift in attitudes that I think is partly generational,” he said.

“Many churches may, for example, hold views on marriage equality that may be out of step with younger people. 

Catholic Bishop Robert McGuckin said the number of worshippers had stayed stable due to an influx of migrants from countries such as the Philippines. 

“They're more involved in the external practice of their faith,” he said.

Bishop Robert McGuckin says there has been a change in the  demographics of Catholics in Toowoomba.(ABC Southern Queensland: David Chen)

Census data showed the Filipino community was one of the top ethnic communities in Toowoomba, making up 0.9 per cent of the population.

Bishop McGuckin said the results showed the Catholic Church needed to continue to welcome more people.

But he believed the census did not necessarily reflect people's spirituality.

“Just because they weren't at church, [it doesn't] mean they didn't have a really Christian attitude,” he said.

Further investigation needed

The rate of change surrounding religion has shocked University of Queensland demographer Elin Charles-Edwards.

Dr Charles-Edwards said the census data did not explain what was behind the change, but it was likely a combination of people deciding not to follow religion and an influx of migrants who did not worship a god.

“I think it warrants further investigation … the headline numbers are really obscuring something which could be a fundamental sort of shift,” she said.

The number of people identifying as Christian has dropped, the 2021 Census reveals.(Unsplash: Debby Hudson)

Professor Harmes said the census was a cold, hard look at how Australian society was evolving.

“I don't think anywhere in Australia will now lay claim to (being the heart of the Bible Belt) because our census figures are that microcosm of a broader trend of Christianity shrinking,” he said.

“But if (religion) gives meaning to your life, if it is significant to you, I don't think these figures will change that at all.”