Priests in Collie

The Diocese of Western Australia

The following Information on the history of the Anglican Church in Western Australia is available at https://www.perth.anglican.org/about-the-church/history

The Swan River Colony was established in 1829 as a free settlement with British support under Lieutenant Governor Stirling. The Diocese of Perth comments that the first colonial chaplain was the Reverend John Burdett Wittenoom, who arrived in the colony in 1830. For five years, he was the only ordained minister in the colony. The Diocese of Perth goes on to note that in 1836, the Reverend Louis Giustiniani arrived in Western Australia; as an appointee of the ‘Western Australian Missionary Society’. He was tasked with ministering to Aboriginal people and became a vocal opponent of what he witnessed as the unequal application of law in relation to Aboriginal people. This brought him into conflict with many of the settlers, the government and the establishment of the church; he left the colony in 1838. The Revd. J R Wollaston arrived in the colony in 1841 and over time became very influential in the then Diocese of Western Australia.   In May 1842, Wollaston and his sons, set about building St Mark’s Church in Picton (Bunbury), which was opened on 18 September 1842.  Then in 1848, Wollaston was transferred to the Parish of St John’s, Albany.  Much more information on John Wollaston can be found at: https://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/pdf/mn/mn501_1000/mn0880.pdf

Letters patent were issued by the Queen in 1856 which formed the See of Perth and appointed Matthew Blagden Hale as Bishop.  The Diocese of Bunbury was not formed until 1904, while the North-West followed in 1910 and Kalgoorlie in 1914. 

On 24 August 1981, the name Church of England was replaced with The Anglican Church of Australia. 

The Diocese of Bunbury Bishops

This information was taken from Joan Bartlett’s book entitled ‘Journey: A history of the Anglican Diocese of Bunbury Western Australia 1904-2004’

1904-1917                                         Frederick Goldsmith 

1918-1937                                         Cecil Wilson

1938-1950                                         Leslie A Knight 

1951-1957                                         Donald L Redding 

1957-1977                                         Ralph Hawkins 

1977-1983                                         Stanley Goldsworthy 

1984-1999                                         Hamish Jamieson 

2000-2010                                         David McCall 

2010-2017                                         Allan Ewing 

2018-                                                  Ian Coutts  

Until 1901 the ministering Priest in Collie was the Priest resident in Bunbury. 

Priests of St John the Evangelist Church Collie 

1901                                                   A G Cutts

1901                                                   G H Holley 

1901-1904                                         W Clarke 

1904-1905                                         A Weinstein 

1905-1907                                         G D Wilson 

1907-1910                                         J E Stansfield 

1910-1915                                         W R Burns 

Priests of All Saints Anglican Church Collie 

1915-January 1919                          W R Burns 

1919-1920                                         A O V Knight 

1921-April 1927                                F J Boxall 

1927-1933                                         R W Needham 

1933-1934                                         J E Stansfield (Locum) 

1934-1935                                         N Braham 

1935-1950                                         A S Cracknell 

1950-1954                                         A C H Lerpiniere 

1955-1959                                         R J Cook 

1959-1962                                         A Whittle 

1962                                                   H C Lawson (Locum) 

1963-1966                                         E G Albany 

1966-1967                                         C A Page 

1967-1973                                         K S Barrett 

1973-1976                                         D F Blackford 

1977-1978                                         T Silverwood 

1979-1988                                         J E W McDonald 

1989-1993                                         M Griffiths 

1993-1999                                         The Priest from Brunswick Junction  

1993                                                   S Barns 

1994-1998                                         L Snell 

1998-1999                                         T O’Neil 

1999-2000                                         N Townsend 

2001-2002                                         K Hall 

2002- October 2004                      J Woodward 

2005-2010                                         I Mabey 

2011-2013                                          I Bailey 

2013-2015                                         K Austin 

2016-15 March 2019                        M Tyler 

2020- May 2022                             L Myres