Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn

Diocese of the Anglican Church of Australia

The Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn is one of the 23 dioceses of the Anglican Church of Australia. The diocese has 60 parishes covering most of south east New South Wales, the eastern Riverina and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). It stretches from Marulan in the north, from Batemans Bay to Eden on the south coast across to Holbrook in the south west, north to Wagga Wagga, Temora, Young and Goulburn.

The Diocese of Goulburn was excised out of the Diocese of Sydney in 1863. At that time, it extended to the south and west of Goulburn to the south western corner of New South Wales (south of the 34th degree of latitude). In 1884, the diocese was divided, with the western portion designated as the major part of the newly created Diocese of Riverina. In 1950, the name of the remaining part of the diocese was changed to Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn, and in 1986, the area around and including Albury was subsumed into the Diocese of Wangaratta. St Saviour's Cathedral, the mother church of the diocese, is located in Goulburn, New South Wales. Both the diocesan bishop and the diocesan office are located in Canberra, Australia's national capital, which is 87 kilometres to the south of Goulburn.

Stuart Robinson was elected 10th bishop of the diocese on 2 November 2008 and laid up his staff on 31 March 2018. He was consecrated and enthroned at St Saviour's Cathedral, Goulburn on 31 January 2009. Trevor Edwards (bishop) was consecrated assistant bishop on 12 June 2004. The consecration of Genieve Blackwell, formerly the Archdeacon for Goulburn and Rural Ministry, as part time assistant bishop for the region of Wagga Wagga, the North West and South West (also becoming the Archdeacon of Wagga Wagga) and Ian Lambert, formerly the Archdeacon for the South Coast and Monaro, as part time assistant bishop for the region of the Coast, Southern Monaro and the Snowy (also remaining as archdeacon) took place at St Saviour’s Cathedral, Goulburn on 31 March 2012. The then Archbishop of Sydney, Peter Jensen, who would normally be expected to consecrate the new bishops, asked the Bishop of Newcastle, Brian Farran, to take his place because Jensen opposes the ordination of women. Blackwell was the third woman to become an Anglican bishop in Australia and the 31st in the world. Bruce Wilson was Director of St Mark's Theological College, Canberra and an Assistant Bishop, 1984–1989; at the time of his consecration, he was the church's youngest bishop. Ian George was an Assistant Bishop, 1989–1991; and Godfrey Fryar, 2003–2013. Trevor Edwards served as assistant bishop from 2004 and Vicar General from 2009 to 2019. Stephen Pickard served as an assistant bishop from 2012 to 2022. Carol Wagner served as an assistant bishop from 2020 to 2024.