Fr T.J. Linane, From Abel to Zundolovich, Vol. 2: Biographies of Priests on the Australian Scene up to 1900, 1980, p 75:

Conrath, Joseph, SJ, Austrian
On the Daly River Mission, Northern Territory
It's easy enough to point to the apparent failures of the attempts to bring the 'Good News' to the Aboriginal race in the last century. It's not so easy to measure the accompanying graces of the Almighty that later showed up and which enabled present missions to stay on the Directory lists. Readers of the last issue on the Rapid Creek mission will get some idea of the heroism of Strele, McKillop, and other Jesuits — including Joseph Conrath — who laboured for the Dark Race in the Far North. Were labourers of a later era — Gsell down to the Sacred Heart missionaries of today and who seem to have had good success — drawing on the graces won in Jesuit days when success was less evident? Conrath was born in Austria in 1853 and arrived in Australia about the year 1888. A short period was spent at the parent house in Seven Hills, South Australia, and some eight years at Daly River. Leaving Australia in 1899 he seemingly spent life's remaining years in his homeland or in nearby Czechoslovakia. At the age of 78 he died in the latter country at the town of Mariaschien.
(Footprints, Vol. 2, No. 9)
Ref.: MDHC File, Torquay, per Fr. Henry Johnston S.J.

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Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017:
Conrath, Joseph

Missionary; born Bitburg, Rheinland, 17 March 1853; died Mariaschein, 29 January 1932, aged 78.

Joseph Conrath's parents were wealthy and pious and wanted Joseph to take over his uncle's brewery. Conflict over his vocation with his parents ensured which lead to a serious illness. Both parents, separately, made a vow to let him follow a vocation if he recovered. He did recover and Joseph was permitted to follow his wish to become a priest. He finished school at Trier where he was recognised as a lively young man.

He entered the Society at St Andrä im Lavanttal, Carinthia, 9 October 1873, and after the noviciate completed rhetoric studies at the same place. It was during this time that he believed that he had a special call to the missions. His Jesuit studies were partly at Lavalle, France, and theology studies were at Innsbruck from 1881.

After ordination he was sent to Australia for 15 years. In 1885 he went to the Daly River mission and remained there until it closed in 1898. During that time he was one time superior and procurator, administrator, schoolteacher, and involved in adult education.

Upon the closure of the mission he spent a few years in Manila, Philippines, at the Ateneo Municipal, under the Aragon province, and went back in Austria in 1902 to the Peter Canisius residence in Vienna where he was spiritual father and on 'mission'. In 1904-05, Conrath was a teacher, especially of French, in the college at Mariaschein, and again, 1910-14, and 1918-1932. He also performed spiritual ministries, especially as confessor, preacher, missioner and retreat director, as well as directed Sodalities. Between times, he was at the college at Innsbruck, 1906-9, mainly directing Sodalities and giving the Spiritual Exercises. From 1915-17 he was in the residence at Steyr, Upper Austria, as superior and prefect of the Church, as well as directing Sodalities.

During these latter years, Conrath published his memoirs of Australia in local periodicals. He was also involved in translating the life of St Stanislaus from Spanish to German, but these efforts led to a stroke in 1927, which resulted in little freedom of movement. After a very active life he found the inactivity that followed difficult, yet he endured his disability with patience.

(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)