Anglican Diocese of Melbourne
The Anglican Diocese of Melbourne is the metropolitan diocese of the Anglican Church of Australia in Victoria, centred on St Paul's Cathedral.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The Anglican Diocese of Melbourne is a diocese of the Anglican Church of Australia and the metropolitan diocese of the Province of Victoria. It was established by letters patent dated 25 June 1847, when it was separated from the former Diocese of Australia. Its area includes metropolitan Melbourne, the city of Geelong, and surrounding rural communities in Victoria. St Paul's Cathedral in central Melbourne serves as the diocesan cathedral. The diocese is led by the Archbishop of Melbourne, who exercises episcopal oversight through a structure of assistant bishops, archdeaconries, and area deaneries. Its contemporary areas of episcopal care use Indigenous names developed following consultation with the Wurundjeri people. Marmingatha focuses on the inner city and major transport corridors; Oodthenong covers northern and western growth areas, including Geelong; Jumbunna covers communities south and east of the Yarra, including the south-eastern growth corridor; and Monomeeth has responsibilities across the diocese, with a particular emphasis on people, culture, and wellbeing. The names and their associated meanings express the diocesan vision of making the word of God fully known through gathering in the divine presence, speaking out, and proclamation. The Diocese of Melbourne contains a broad range of Anglican churchmanship. Evangelical, liberal, and Anglo-Catholic traditions are all represented in its parishes and institutions. This diversity has contributed to theological debate within the diocese and has sometimes made episcopal elections and policy discussions contentious. Melbourne has also frequently been contrasted with the more socially and theologically conservative Diocese of Sydney within the Anglican Church of Australia. The diocese has played a significant role in the development of ordained ministry for women in Australia. In 1884, Bishop James Moorhouse ordained Marion Macfarlane as a deaconess, an event described as the first such ordination in Australia. Women have been ordained to the diaconate in Melbourne since 1986 and to the priesthood since 1992. Barbara Darling became the diocese's first woman bishop in 2008. The admission of women to the episcopate has not been accepted uniformly across the diocese, and alternative episcopal oversight has been provided for some clergy and congregations. Two theological colleges are located in Parkville. Trinity College Theological School, founded in 1878, is associated with the University of Divinity and Trinity College at the University of Melbourne and is generally identified with liberal and Anglo-Catholic traditions. Ridley College, founded in 1910, is an independent institution in the evangelical tradition and is affiliated with the Australian University of Theology. The diocese participates in wider Anglican debates concerning human sexuality, abortion, ordination, and the relationship between different theological traditions. Its official position on homosexuality has historically reflected the traditional Anglican stance, although liberal parishes and prominent members have advocated changes to church teaching. In 2007, a diocesan submission to the Victorian Law Reform Commission supported access to safe and affordable abortion with safeguards while acknowledging internal diversity and describing the moral significance of fetal life as developing during pregnancy. Ric Thorpe was elected Archbishop of Melbourne in May 2025 and installed in November 2025, succeeding the previous diocesan leadership.
History
The Anglican Diocese of Melbourne was created on 25 June 1847 by letters patent separating it from the Diocese of Australia. The new diocese served the expanding colonial settlement around Melbourne and eventually developed responsibility for Melbourne, Geelong, and nearby rural districts. St Paul's Cathedral became its cathedral church and remains the principal symbolic centre of diocesan life. As the population and Anglican presence in Victoria expanded, the diocese developed a layered system of episcopal and parish administration. Archdeaconries and area deaneries provided more localised oversight, while assistant bishops supported the archbishop in pastoral and regional responsibilities. In its modern form, the diocese has organised episcopal care into Marmingatha, Oodthenong, Jumbunna, and Monomeeth, names selected in consultation with the Wurundjeri people and reflecting local Indigenous language and cultural context. Education and ministerial formation have been important parts of the diocese's institutional history. Trinity College Theological School was established in 1878 and became associated with the University of Divinity and Trinity College at the University of Melbourne. Ridley College was founded in 1910 as an evangelical theological college and later affiliated with the Australian University of Theology. Their differing traditions reflect the wider theological breadth of Melbourne Anglicanism. The diocese has also been notable in the history of women's ministry in Australian Anglicanism. Bishop Moorhouse ordained Marion Macfarlane as a deaconess in 1884. Women have been ordained to the diaconate in Melbourne since 1986 and to the priesthood since 1992. Following national ecclesiastical developments in 2007, Barbara Darling was consecrated in 2008 as Melbourne's first woman bishop. Some conservative Evangelical and Anglo-Catholic members have opposed women's episcopal ministry, leading to arrangements for alternative episcopal oversight. Theological diversity has shaped the diocese's public and internal debates. Evangelical, liberal, and Anglo-Catholic communities coexist within its parishes and institutions, but their differing views have generated tensions over episcopal elections, human sexuality, women's ordination, and other questions. Melbourne is commonly regarded as more theologically broad than the Diocese of Sydney. On homosexuality, the formal diocesan position has historically followed the traditional Anglican stance, while some parishes and lay leaders have advocated reform. In 2007, a diocesan submission to the Victorian Law Reform Commission supported access to safe and affordable abortion subject to safeguards, while acknowledging differing views among Anglicans. In the twenty-first century, the diocese continues to combine cathedral worship, parish ministry, theological education, pastoral care, and community engagement across metropolitan and regional Victoria. Ric Thorpe was elected Archbishop of Melbourne on 24 May 2025 and installed on 30 November 2025.
- 2025
Ric Thorpe elected and installed as archbishop
[1]Ric Thorpe was elected on 24 May and installed on 30 November as Archbishop of Melbourne.
- 2008
First woman bishop consecrated in Melbourne
[1]Barbara Darling was consecrated at St Paul's Cathedral as the first woman bishop of the Diocese of Melbourne.
- 2007
National decision clears path for women bishops
[1]An Appellate Tribunal decision and subsequent General Synod action clarified the legal path for women to be consecrated as bishops in the Australian church.
- 1992
Women admitted to the priesthood
[1]The diocese began ordaining women to the priesthood.
- 1986
Women admitted to the diaconate
[1]The diocese began ordaining women to the diaconate.
- 1910
Ridley College founded
[1]Ridley College was established in Parkville as an independent theological college in the evangelical tradition.
- 1884
Marion Macfarlane ordained as a deaconess
[1]Bishop Moorhouse ordained Marion Macfarlane as a deaconess, an early landmark for women's ordained ministry in Australia.
- 1878
Trinity College Theological School founded
[1]Trinity College Theological School was founded in Parkville and later became associated with the University of Divinity.
- 1847
Diocese of Melbourne established
[1]Letters patent dated 25 June 1847 created the Diocese of Melbourne from the Diocese of Australia.
Products and positioning
A geographically extensive Anglican diocese serving urban, regional, and rural communities in Victoria, with a theologically diverse institutional identity and a strong cathedral, parish, educational, and pastoral network.
Brand decisions
2007
Submission on abortion law reformOtherBackground
The Victorian Law Reform Commission was considering the legal status and regulation of abortion. A diocesan committee prepared a submission reflecting both a commitment to the value of life and diversity of opinion within the diocese.
Action taken
The submission supported the provision of safe and affordable abortions with appropriate safeguards for women requesting them. It also stated that the moral significance of embryonic and fetal life increases progressively during pregnancy.
Aftermath
The submission became a notable example of the diocese's engagement with public policy and of the breadth of ethical views represented within Australian Anglicanism.
2007
Support for the national clarification on women bishopsStrategyBackground
The Australian Anglican Church was addressing whether its governing framework permitted the consecration of women as bishops.
Action taken
Archbishop Philip Freier welcomed the September Appellate Tribunal decision, and the diocese proceeded within the clarified national framework.
Aftermath
Barbara Darling was consecrated as the first woman bishop of Melbourne in 2008, although some members continued to seek alternative episcopal oversight.
Sources2 sources
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