About Patrick O'Farrell
Lived 1933 – 2003 (aged 70). Patrick O'Farrell was an Australian historian.
Patrick James O'Farrell (17 September 1933 – 25 December 2003 ) was a historian known for his histories of Roman Catholicism in Australia, Irish history and Irish Australian history.
Early life and family O'Farrell was born on 17 September 1933, in Greymouth, New Zealand, into an Irish Catholic family. He was educated at the Marist Brothers High School, Greymouth, and at Canterbury University College, where he graduated Master of Arts with second-class honours in history in 1956.
Having moved to Australia in 1956, O'Farrell earned a PhD from the Australian National University in 1960 on the development of Harry Holland, an early Labour Party leader in New Zealand, as a militant socialist.
On 29 December 1956, O'Farrell married Deirdre Genevieve MacShane, and the couple went on to have five children. As an opponent of social history 'from below', he initiated a polemic against oral history in the 1980s.
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Important facts
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Frequently asked questions
Who was Patrick O'Farrell?
Australian historian
When was Patrick O'Farrell born?
Patrick O'Farrell was born on 17 September 1933.
When did Patrick O'Farrell die?
Patrick O'Farrell died on 25 December 2003.
What was Patrick O'Farrell's occupation?
Patrick O'Farrell was a historian.
What nationality was Patrick O'Farrell?
Patrick O'Farrell was Australian.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Patrick O'Farrell
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Patrick O'Farrell. https://biography.guide/patrick-o-farrell/
MLA: "Patrick O'Farrell." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/patrick-o-farrell/.
Chicago: "Patrick O'Farrell." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/patrick-o-farrell/.
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