Shipping Intelligence. Hobson's Bay. Arrivals—Oct. 16, The Argus, Melbourne, 18 October 1875, p 4, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article7422584:

Pera, R.M.S.S., 2,119 tons, Robert Methven, commander, from Point de Galle 24th ult [...] Passengers [...] For Sydney—saloon: [...] Rev. Dr. Quin, Rev. A. Petre, Rev. W. Rice [...]

---

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. A.W. Petre, Cathedral to St. Benedict's; [...]

---

Dean O'Connor's Departure from Armidale, Freeman's Journal, Sydney, 14 April 1888, p 18, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article115463245:

[...] On Thursday week a tea and ball were held at Uralla, in aid of the funds of the local church, and as Dean O'Connor was to be present, the opportunity was seized upon to present him with an address and testimonial. The Dean drove out to Uralla, accompanied by Fathers Petre and McCormack. [...]

---

The Brisbane Courier, 9 March 1897, p 6, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3646903:

The dignity of the purple has just been conferred on two English ecclesiastics whom Pope Leo. XIII. has created domestic prelates of the Vatican, the Rev. Augustus Petre, a member of Lord Petre's family, which has given many distinguished clerics to the Roman Church for generations, and [...]

---

T.W. Campbell, The Priests of the Diocese of Armidale: A Necrology, Braddon ACT, 2005:
Petre, Augustus William Berney

Born in England on 9 November 1850, he belonged to a very well connected Catholic aristocratic family. Grandson of the 10th Baron Petre. The Petre and Howard families (the Dukes of Norfolk - close relatives) were two of the significant Catholic families to survive the Protestant reformation in England. Originally an officer in the British Army, he resigned his commission and was ordained in 1875, date and place unknown. Place of study unknown. He came to Sydney at the same time as Prior Vaughan (later Cardinal Vaughan), who was also a relative (one report suggests the ordination was in Sydney, by his cousin, Archbishop Vaughan). He moved around a number of centres in the Sydney Archdiocese, including Dapto, Hartley/Lithgow and Berrima. He featured in the obsequies for Archbishop Vaughan after the news of his death reached Sydney, and at least one personal letter to him from a close Vaughan family member about the Archbishop's death was published in the Freeman's Journal. He transferred to Armidale around 1888 from Berrima, and was stationed at the cathedral, relieving P J O'Connor when he took a year's leave in 1888. A course of lectures he delivered in the cathedral at that time gained much attention and large audiences of all denominations. They were entitled 'Is marriage a failure?', 'Hands across the sea' and 'The Devil in evening dress'. He returned to England around 1890 and was attached to St John's Cathedral, Portsmouth, where he exercised influence among the young, and established the Young Men's Christian Union. During that period he was made a Monsignor. He died in London on 21 March 1897 of typhoid fever. Place of burial unknown.
(Sources: FJ 17 May 1879 p 14, 15 Jul 1882 p 15, 7 Jun 1879 p 14, 29 Jul 1882 p 16, 20 Oct 1883 p 18, 15 May 1897 p 9, 13 Feb 1913 p 23, The Times, 23 Mar 1897 p 9, Burke's Peerage, 20, pp 2238, 2239, MDHC A-Z P25).

(Reproduced by permission of Tom Campbell.)