Primate of Australia
Coat of Arms of the Anglican Church of Australia
Incumbent
Geoffrey Smith
since 7 April 2020 (2020-04-07)
StyleThe 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 lengthSix years (three years for a second consecutive term)
Constituting instrumentPrimate Canon 1985
Formation1847 (1847)
First holderWilliam Broughton
Deputyan Acting Primate
WebsitePrimate, 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
From Until Incumbent Notes
1847 1849 William Broughton, Bishop of Australia Only Primate of Australasia.
1849 1854 William Broughton, Bishop of Sydney
1854 1882 Frederic Barker, Bishop of Sydney First Primate of Australia ex officio as Bishop of Sydney.
1884 1889 Alfred Barry, Bishop of Sydney Ex officio primate as Bishop of Sydney.
1890 1897 Saumarez Smith, Bishop of Sydney Ex officio primate as Bishop/Archbishop of Sydney; died in office.
1897 1909 Saumarez Smith, Archbishop of Sydney
Elected primates
From Until Incumbent Notes
1910 1933 John Wright, Archbishop of Sydney Also Archbishop of Sydney since 1909; died in office.
1935 1946 Henry Le Fanu, Archbishop of Perth Also Archbishop of Perth since 1929; died in office.
1947 1958 Howard Mowll, Archbishop of Sydney Also Archbishop of Sydney since 1933; died in office.
1959 1966 Hugh Gough, Archbishop of Sydney Also Archbishop of Sydney since 1959.
1966 1971 Sir Philip Strong, Archbishop of Brisbane Also Archbishop of Brisbane since 1962.
1971 1977 Sir Frank Woods, Archbishop of Melbourne Also Archbishop of Melbourne since 1957; knighted in 1972.
1977 1982 Sir Marcus Loane, Archbishop of Sydney Also Archbishop of Sydney since 1964; knighted in 1976.
1982 1989 Sir John Grindrod, Archbishop of Brisbane Also Archbishop of Brisbane since 1980; knighted in 1982.
1991 1999 Keith Rayner, Archbishop of Melbourne Acting Primate 1989–1991.[3]
Also Archbishop of Melbourne since 1990.
1999 2004 Peter Carnley, Archbishop of Perth Also Archbishop of Perth since 1981.
2004 4 July 2014[4] Phillip Aspinall, Archbishop of Brisbane Also Archbishop of Brisbane since 2002
4 July 2014[4] 31 March 2020[5] Philip Freier, Archbishop of Melbourne Also 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 Adelaide Also Archbishop of Adelaide since 2017.

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. ^ a b 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.
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