Sydney James Kirkby
Encyclopedia
Sydney James Kirkby was a bishop of the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania (now renamed the Anglican Church of Australia
).
), Victoria
, the eleventh child of Joseph Kirkby, a clerk, and his wife Alice Maude Paine Kirkby, both natives of England
. Six of the couple's previous children had not survived.
Kirkby was educated at Gravel Hill State School, where he was profoundly influenced by the Reverend Herbert Begbie toward the religious life, to the point of becoming a lay reader in 1902.
He was sent by Bishop Langley to Moore Theological College
in Sydney
, where he proved a very capable student. He was selected as an Abbott scholar and senior student for 1905 and was one of the few students who took a first in the Oxford and Cambridge preliminary examination.
. Almost a year later, on 17 October 1906, he married Victoria Ethel Godfrey. On 21 December he was made a priest by Archbishop Henry Lowther Clarke
and became the rector of the church at Malmsbury, Victoria
. While he proved himself to be a vigorous pastor with a deep spiritual dimension, his scholastic temperament and abilities remained strong. In 1911 he returned to Moore College, where he served as a tutor and acting principal. There he took advantage of the school's recent affiliation with Durham University
in England to continue his education with a diploma in theology. He remained there though 1912 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
degree. In 1914 he returned to pastoral duties at St Anne's church in Ryde, New South Wales
.
Kirkby was a devout Evangelical and was particularly interested in promoting that tradition through the work of the Anglican Church League and similar groups. He also believed that Evangelicals had a role to play in the missions in the Outback. In 1920 the Bush Church Aid Society for Australia and Tasmania was founded, with pledged support from the Colonial and Continental Church Society in England. Kirkby was installed as the group's executive officer. The new group did not have widespread support from the Anglican clergy of Australia, Archbishop John Charles Wright
of Sydney being one of its few supporters.
In 1932 he was reassigned to diocesan work. He was already the part-time archdeacon
of Camden, New South Wales
and was now appointed coadjutor bishop
of Sydney, with a specific assignment to the church of St Philip's
in Sydney. He was consecrated to the new post on 24 August and formally became the acting bishop on the death of Archbishop Wright the following February.
At St Philip's Kirkby proved to be quite popular, with his weekday lunchtime services attracting large numbers of people. In his position as coadjutor he worked to address the financial and social problems the church was having, worsened by the ongoing Great Depression
. He also worked on constitutional reform.
Kirkby had the duty of presiding over the election of the new archbishop to replace Archbishop Wright. He was himself nominated for the post, against his own wishes, but successfully worked to limit his own chances of getting the post. He also helped bring the synod through an exhausting session which gave the post to Bishop Howard Mowll
of West China, through a skillfully managed effort behind the scenes. The election of Mowll to the post caused a split among the Evangelicals in the area, which Kirkby, despite his popularity with the people and the clergy and common sense, would prove to be unable to heal.
, which led to his death in Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
on 12 July 1935. He was survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters.
He was buried in the grounds of his beloved St Philip's and is commemorated in the calendar
of the Anglican Church of Australia
on 13 July.
Anglican Church of Australia
The Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. It was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania...
).
Early life
He was born in Sandhurst (now BendigoBendigo, Victoria
Bendigo is a major regional city in the state of Victoria, Australia, located very close to the geographical centre of the state and approximately north west of the state capital Melbourne. It is the second largest inland city and fourth most populous city in the state. The estimated urban...
), Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, the eleventh child of Joseph Kirkby, a clerk, and his wife Alice Maude Paine Kirkby, both natives of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Six of the couple's previous children had not survived.
Kirkby was educated at Gravel Hill State School, where he was profoundly influenced by the Reverend Herbert Begbie toward the religious life, to the point of becoming a lay reader in 1902.
He was sent by Bishop Langley to Moore Theological College
Moore Theological College
Moore Theological College, otherwise known simply as Moore College, is the theological training seminary of the Diocese of Sydney in the Anglican Church of Australia...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, where he proved a very capable student. He was selected as an Abbott scholar and senior student for 1905 and was one of the few students who took a first in the Oxford and Cambridge preliminary examination.
Church work
He returned to Bendigo, and was made a deacon on 24 December 1905, and placed at Pyramid Hill, VictoriaPyramid Hill, Victoria
Pyramid Hill is a town in Victoria, Australia located in the Shire of Loddon. It is located north of Melbourne and north of Bendigo. At the 2006 census, Pyramid Hill had a population of 465. The town has its own railway station....
. Almost a year later, on 17 October 1906, he married Victoria Ethel Godfrey. On 21 December he was made a priest by Archbishop Henry Lowther Clarke
Henry Lowther Clarke
Henry Lowther Clarke was the fourth Anglican bishop and first archbishop of Melbourne, Australia.-Early life:...
and became the rector of the church at Malmsbury, Victoria
Malmsbury, Victoria
Malmsbury is a town in central Victoria, Australia. It lies on the Old Calder Highway , 96 km north west of the state capital, Melbourne and 11 km north west of Kyneton. Situated close by the Coliban River, Malmsbury has a population of 587...
. While he proved himself to be a vigorous pastor with a deep spiritual dimension, his scholastic temperament and abilities remained strong. In 1911 he returned to Moore College, where he served as a tutor and acting principal. There he took advantage of the school's recent affiliation with Durham University
Durham University
The University of Durham, commonly known as Durham University, is a university in Durham, England. It was founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and granted a Royal Charter in 1837...
in England to continue his education with a diploma in theology. He remained there though 1912 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree. In 1914 he returned to pastoral duties at St Anne's church in Ryde, New South Wales
Ryde, New South Wales
Ryde is a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Ryde is located 13 km north-west of the Sydney central business district and 8 km east of Parramatta. Ryde is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Ryde and part of the Northern Suburbs area...
.
Kirkby was a devout Evangelical and was particularly interested in promoting that tradition through the work of the Anglican Church League and similar groups. He also believed that Evangelicals had a role to play in the missions in the Outback. In 1920 the Bush Church Aid Society for Australia and Tasmania was founded, with pledged support from the Colonial and Continental Church Society in England. Kirkby was installed as the group's executive officer. The new group did not have widespread support from the Anglican clergy of Australia, Archbishop John Charles Wright
John Charles Wright
John Charles Wright, was an Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Australia, responsible for significantly reducing the influence of Anglo-Catholicism in the diocese....
of Sydney being one of its few supporters.
In 1932 he was reassigned to diocesan work. He was already the part-time archdeacon
Archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...
of Camden, New South Wales
Camden, New South Wales
-Education:Camden is the location of research facilities for the veterinary and agricultural schools of the University of Sydney. The local government area has two public high schools, Camden High School and Elderslie High School, as well as eight Catholic and three Anglican schools.-Culture:The...
and was now appointed coadjutor bishop
Coadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
of Sydney, with a specific assignment to the church of St Philip's
St Philip's Church, Sydney
St Philip's Church, Sydney is the oldest Anglican church parish in Australia. The church is located in the Sydney CBD, between York Street, Clarence and Jamison Streets on a location known as Church Hill. St Philip's is part of the Diocese of Sydney, Australia...
in Sydney. He was consecrated to the new post on 24 August and formally became the acting bishop on the death of Archbishop Wright the following February.
At St Philip's Kirkby proved to be quite popular, with his weekday lunchtime services attracting large numbers of people. In his position as coadjutor he worked to address the financial and social problems the church was having, worsened by the ongoing Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. He also worked on constitutional reform.
Kirkby had the duty of presiding over the election of the new archbishop to replace Archbishop Wright. He was himself nominated for the post, against his own wishes, but successfully worked to limit his own chances of getting the post. He also helped bring the synod through an exhausting session which gave the post to Bishop Howard Mowll
Howard Mowll
Howard West Kilvinton Mowll was the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney from 1933 until his death in 1958.Howard Mowll was born in Dover and attended Dover College until 1903 and later matriculated at the King's School, Canterbury....
of West China, through a skillfully managed effort behind the scenes. The election of Mowll to the post caused a split among the Evangelicals in the area, which Kirkby, despite his popularity with the people and the clergy and common sense, would prove to be unable to heal.
Death and legacy
Mowll was enthroned as archbishop in March 1934 and Kirkby continued as an assistant to the new archbishop, although he was much more personally interested in his work with his congregation at St Philip's. He was afflicted with chronic nephritisNephritis
Nephritis is inflammation of the nephrons in the kidneys. The word "nephritis" was imported from Latin, which took it from Greek: νεφρίτιδα. The word comes from the Greek νεφρός - nephro- meaning "of the kidney" and -itis meaning "inflammation"....
, which led to his death in Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
Royal Prince Alfred Hospital
The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital is a major public teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia, located on Missenden Road in Camperdown...
on 12 July 1935. He was survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters.
He was buried in the grounds of his beloved St Philip's and is commemorated in the calendar
Calendar of saints (Anglican Church of Australia)
The calendar of the Anglican Church of Australia follows Anglican tradition with the addition of significant people and events in the church in Australia....
of the Anglican Church of Australia
Anglican Church of Australia
The Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. It was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania...
on 13 July.