Christianity is the largest Australian religion according to the national census. In the 2011 Census, 61.1% of Australians were listed as Christian. Australia has no official state religion and the Australian Constitution protects freedom of religion. The presence of Christianity in Australia began with the arrival of the First Fleet of British convicts in 1788. The religion grew to account for 96.1% of the national population at the time of the Federation of Australia in 1901. The Anglican Church of Australia (formerly known as the Church of England in Australia) was the largest church until 1986, when it was surpassed by the Roman Catholic Church in Australia. Post-war multiculturalism and a decline in religious observance among some sections of the population have diversified the demogr