Roman Catholic Clerical Changes, Evening News, Sydney, 13 February 1878, p 3, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article107944745:

The following changes have recently been made:—[...] Rev. G.F. Dillon, Camden to Balmain; [...]

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Fr T.J. Linane, From Abel to Zundolovich, Vol. 2: Biographies of Priests on the Australian Scene up to 1900, 1980, pp 141-142:

Dillon, George Francis, Rt. Rev., Irish
Archbishop Vaughan's Right Hand Man
There is a splendid article on the career of this fearless and scholarly priest in the Australasian Catholic Record of 1950 (July & October numbers), written by the prince of writers among present-day clergy, Fr. Roger Wynne P.P. of North Parramatta. The reference is itself stressed, as there is no intention of intruding on the subject, let alone disagreeing with a gem of writing. So confinement to the essentials will be sufficient.

But on re-reading the article one can only reflect on the strange workings of Providence through the instrumentality of the Church's bishops. Here was a priest called to organise a parish of importance when only three years ordained and who remained on the Australian Mission for a mere 20 years ... while many another has remained tied to episcopal apron strings for 25 years or more, given no opportunity to parish headship until the spirit of initiative waned, and left subservient to the dotage and autocracy of aged pastors. The scene has greatly changed in the last few decades, but what's been said certainly had application in some dioceses in the 1930-60 period.

Albeit, George Francis, according to All Hallows records, was born in Cork and attended St. Finbar's College in that city. His later formation was received at the Cistercian Monastery school at Mount Melleray and in 1856 he went on to All Hallows. Ordination was conferred on 3 June 1861, Sydney Archdiocese being the prospective field of labour. First appointment was to St. Mary's Cathedral where he remained for two years. In 1863 he was transferred to Armidale to assist the benign and hardy toiler, Dean John Lynch. No doubt the assignment toughened the young Dillon, for Armidale could be described by a former and famous pioneer, Fr. Tim McCarthy "as around twice the size of two Irish counties and combining a scattered population of some 3000 Catholics ..." What McCarthy experienced was also the lot of George Francis .... "Often I'm away for two months at a time and many a day I do 60 miles in the saddle ..." After two years the parish of Balmain became vacant with the death of the pioneer, Fr. J.J. Therry. And so the people of Balmain were introduced to their second apostle, a much younger man than Therry, but every bit as outspoken and with a greater flair for oratory. Bigger and better schools became his aim, and it was a great day in 1864 when the Good Samaritan sisters came to staff his school and do social and charitable work as well. Success on the local scene no doubt gave him courage to venture into a wider field in the education struggle, which by 1866, and with the introduction of the Public Instruction Bill, was reaching a climax. With voice and pen he fought the Bill, establishing for himself the reputation of being the "turbulent priest" of Sydney. The Dillon language was rasping and virulent, yet not out of keeping with religious atmosphere of the time. The Government tried to "get even" and removed him from the chaplaincy of the reformatory on Cockatoo Island. A hullabaloo ensued, but fortunately Dillon was not subdued nor repentant ... But officials, Sheehy V.G., McEncroe and others were on-side with Dillon, Dr. Polding being overseas at this critical stage. Despite the efforts of Parkes, Martin, and others on the parliamentary scene Dillon was not subdued nor repentant ... But all this is well described in the A.C.R. article referred to ... Read how he played a part in quelling the myth of the Kiama Ghost, the part he played in the furore of bigotry surrounding the attempt of O'Farrell to kill Prince Alfred, the conversion of the bushranger, James Clarke. The whole story reads like a first class thriller .....

From 1869 to 1878 it was back to the bush tracks for the fighter and orator. He was given the parish deep down in the Burragorang Valley, and Camden seems to have been a part of that mission, at least for a time. His main exploit there was to establish an Aboriginal farm settlement and convert many of the dark race to the Faith. The settlement flourished, at least while Dillon was there. Like many another Catholic effort in that direction it was ultimately doomed to oblivion. The promotor was recalled to the city, this time to fill in for Dr. John Forrest who had been dismissed from St. John's College at the University, sacked from his parish, and suspended — another sad story in itself. In 1880 Archbishop Vaughan, who had come to rely heavily on Dillon, especially in the troubles in Armidale and Brisbane with the reigning Bishops, founded the 'Express' to state his policies and to outdo the 'Freemans Journal', a paper which stressed unduly the Irish Home Rule question. Dillon was one of the Directors. Alas, the 'Express', like the Burragorang experiment, also faded into oblivion. It had a brief two years span of life. In 1881 with over £750 in his pocket from well-wishers, and with a mere 20 years of service behind him, Dillon bade good-bye to Australia and its problems and retired to Rome.

Fr. Wynne continues the story of his Roman career: "Escorted for some distance by two launches filled with hundreds of his sorrowing parishioners, he sailed down the harbour and through the heads, destined in the inscrutable designs of Providence never to return. Medical advice to seek restoration of his failing health in a long vacation was the reason generally given for his departure, though many were of the opinion that his illness was more strategic than real, and that the true cause was his reluctance to co-operate in the establishment of a large boarding school which he felt convinced was not in the best interests of the parish.

In the spring of 1883 he visited Italy and while there was encouraged by the Irish Augustinian Fathers, with whom he stayed to publish his celebrated work, 'The Virgin Mother of Good Counsel'. This remarkable book of almost seven hundred pages, which will always stand as the classical history in English of the Shrine at Genazzano and the Miraculous Picture of Our Lady of Good Counsel, not only received the highest commendations of eminent Prelates and theologians throughout the world, but was warmly praised by Pope Leo XIII himself who had it translated into Italian by the distinguished scholar Dom Benedetto Mileto, just then famous for his fine translation of Cardinal Manning's 'The Eternal Priesthood'. In the same year also a French edition appeared in Paris, the work of the Rev. Mother Prioress of the Benedictine Nuns at Ventnor.

In October, 1884, Father Dillon (now Monsignor and Doctor) delivered at Edinburgh a series of lectures which were afterwards published by Gill of Dublin under the title of 'The War of Anti-Christ with the Church and Christian Civilization', and which deal chiefly with Freemasonry and other secret societies. Although long since out of print, this work is still regarded as a valuable source of information and is frequently referred to in Father Cahill's recent valuable book on the same subject.

Father Dillon's subsequent career is difficult to trace and we prefer to leave the task of telling the little that is known of it to the venerable Monsignor Flanagan of Mudgee, who as a boy at Orange, and later as a student and young priest in Rome, knew and admired this grand old warrior of the past, this central figure and often stormy petrel of so many of Australia's "old unhappy far off things and battles long ago".

The Monsignor records "I remember hearing that Dillon took a small residence for himself, that he had a piano in his house, and that he was subject to severe attacks of melancholia. I had an idea that he died in 1889 or thereabouts. I do not wonder at his not lasting long. Rome to a man like Dillon, not knowing the language and not making friends late in life is a very lonely place."

Perhaps Mgr. Flanagan was unaware that in the last days of his sojourn George Francis enjoyed a close friendship with the Passionist community, who assisted him in his dying moments. And the accuracy of the date of death, "1889 or thereabouts", was somewhat astray. For Dillon died at the Palazzo di Rossi in the Piazza Ara Coeli on 29 January 1893. He had crowded many activities and words into the 56 years of life.

(Footprints, Vol. 3, No. 9)

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T.W. Campbell, The Priests of the Diocese of Armidale: A Necrology, Braddon ACT, 2005:
Dillon, George Francis

Known as 'Red' Dillon. Born Cork, Ireland 1836, educated at St Finbar's College, then Mount Melleray, and All Hallows. Ordained for the Sydney archdiocese on 3 June 1861. Arrived in Sydney on 21 September 1861. He was appointed to St Mary's cathedral until assigned to Armidale 1862 to assist Dean John Lynch. In 1864 he succeeded Fr J Therry at Balmain East. From 1869 to 1878 he was based in the Burragorang Valley, then was appointed to St John's College, University of Sydney. In November 1876 he spent time in the Armidale diocese collecting statements from residents concerning the issues raised in the complaints against Bishop Timothy O'Mahony. In late 1881 he left Sydney for Europe and retired to Rome where he spent the last years of his life writing spiritual treatises. He died in Rome at the Palazzo di Rossi in the Piazza Ara Coeli on 29 January 1893. Place of burial unknown.
(Sources: Farrell, Foley, Footprints Vol 3 No 9 Aug 1979 p 29, Australasian Catholic Record July and October 1950, Hellwig p 104, FJ 14 Jan 1882 p 18, AAHC, MDHC A-Z D50).

(Reproduced by permission of Tom Campbell.)