John Heavey

[3] Heavey was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest in Rome as a member of the Augustinian Order on 23 May 1891.

[2] He served as professor and prior of the order in County Wexford, Ireland, before being appointed in 1914 as Vicar Apostolic of Cooktown in North Queensland, Australia.

[1] At the time the Vicariate Apostolic of Cooktown was established in 1877, Cooktown was expected to become the major town in North Queensland, but his predecessor Bishop James Murray had relocated the headquarters of the vicariate to Cairns circa 1904, as it had become the major town in the area.

On his first voyage a buoy was hit that caused damage to the ship's hull and it began to take on water and had to return for repairs.

His funeral was held at St Monica's Cathedral in Cairns with the panegyric preached by Archbishop of Brisbane James Duhig.