Anglican Primate of Australia

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Primate of Australia
Angl-Australia-Arms.svg
Coat of Arms of the Anglican Church of Australia
Incumbent
Geoffrey Smith

since 7 April 2020 (2020-04-07)
Style The Most Reverend
StatusPresident of the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia
Reports toGeneral Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia
AppointerBoard of Electors
(elected by the Board from among the diocesan bishops of the Anglican Church of Australia)
Term length Six years (three years for a second consecutive term)
Constituting instrument Primate Canon 1985
Formation1847 (1847)
First holder William Broughton
Deputyan Acting Primate
Website Primate , Anglican Church of Australia

The Anglican Primate of Australia is the senior bishop and President of the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia. Between General Synods, the Primate is also President of the Standing Committee of the General Synod which takes responsibility for the affairs of the General Synod in between General Synod sessions. The Primate is elected from among the country's Anglican diocesan bishops, by a Board of Electors, comprising diocesan bishops and representative clergy and laity. [1] [2]

List

Ex officio primates
FromUntilIncumbentNotes
18471849 William Broughton , Bishop of AustraliaOnly Primate of Australasia.
18491854William Broughton, Bishop of Sydney
18541882 Frederic Barker , Bishop of SydneyFirst Primate of Australia ex officio as Bishop of Sydney.
18841889 Alfred Barry , Bishop of SydneyEx officio primate as Bishop of Sydney.
18901897 Saumarez Smith , Bishop of SydneyEx officio primate as Bishop/Archbishop of Sydney; died in office.
18971909Saumarez Smith, Archbishop of Sydney
Elected primates
FromUntilIncumbentNotes
19101933 John Wright , Archbishop of SydneyAlso Archbishop of Sydney since 1909; died in office.
19351946 Henry Le Fanu , Archbishop of PerthAlso Archbishop of Perth since 1929; died in office.
19471958 Howard Mowll , Archbishop of SydneyAlso Archbishop of Sydney since 1933; died in office.
19591966 Hugh Gough , Archbishop of SydneyAlso Archbishop of Sydney since 1959.
19661971Sir Philip Strong , Archbishop of BrisbaneAlso Archbishop of Brisbane since 1962.
19711977Sir Frank Woods , Archbishop of MelbourneAlso Archbishop of Melbourne since 1957; knighted in 1972.
19771982Sir Marcus Loane , Archbishop of SydneyAlso Archbishop of Sydney since 1964; knighted in 1976.
19821989Sir John Grindrod , Archbishop of BrisbaneAlso Archbishop of Brisbane since 1980; knighted in 1982.
19911999 Keith Rayner , Archbishop of MelbourneActing Primate 1989–1991. [3]
Also Archbishop of Melbourne since 1990.
19992005 Peter Carnley , Archbishop of PerthAlso Archbishop of Perth since 1981.
20054 July 2014 [4] Phillip Aspinall , Archbishop of BrisbaneAlso Archbishop of Brisbane since 2002
4 July 2014 [4] 31 March 2020 [5] Philip Freier , Archbishop of MelbourneAlso Archbishop of Melbourne since 2006. In the brief April 2020 vacancy, Aspinall served as interim Primate. [6]
7 April 2020 [7] onwards Geoffrey Smith , Archbishop of AdelaideAlso Archbishop of Adelaide since 2017.

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References

  1. "Primate Canon 1985" (PDF). Anglican Church of Australia . Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  2. "Primate". Anglican Church of Australia. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  3. Brolly, Mark (17 March 2020). "Vote for Archbishop Freier's successor as Primate deadlocked". The Melbourne Anglican. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  4. 1 2 Melbourne Archbishop to lead Australian Anglican Church, 29 June 2014 Archived 14 November 2017 at the Wayback Machine (Accessed 30 June 2014)
  5. "Anglican Church of Australia's Board of Electors to hold fresh election for primate". Anglican Communion News Service. Anglican Communion Office. 31 March 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  6. "Anglican Church of Australia's Board of Electors to hold fresh election for primate".
  7. "Archbishop Geoffrey Smith elected Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia". Anglican Communion News Service. Anglican Communion Office. 7 April 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2020.