The Diocese of Wellington is one of the thirteen dioceses and hui amorangi (Māori bishoprics) of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. The diocese covers the area between the bottom of the North Island of New Zealand up to the area of Mount Ruapehu.
The seat of the Bishop of Wellington is at the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul. The current Bishop of Wellington, since 2012, has been Justin Duckworth, joined by newly elected Assistant Bishop Anashuya Fletcher (2024).
There are approximately 60 parishes and mission districts within the diocese of Wellington.
History The diocese's first bishop, Charles Abraham, was consecrated in 1858. An attempt was made in the 21st General Synod (1919) to make the Bishop of Wellington ex officio Primate and Metropolitan;Proceedings of the Twenty-First General Synod of the Church of the Province of New Zealand (p. 26) this failed in the 22nd Synod (1922).Proceedings of the Twenty-Second General Synod of the Church of the Province of New Zealand (p. 20, online at the Kinder Library)
The Archbishop David Moxon announced on 29 April 2012 that Justin Duckworth was elected as the 11th Bishop of Wellington. Duckworth was installed on 30 June 2012.
The diocese celebrated its sesquicentenary in 2008; the celebrations included pilgrimages throughout the diocese.
Cathedral Old St Paul's, the second Church of St Paul in Wellington, was the pro-cathedral church for the Anglican Diocese of Wellington from 1866 to 1964 and remains consecrated, despite now owned by Heritage New Zealand (formerly the New Zealand Historic Places Trust). The first parish church for the early settlers, dedicated to St Paul, was behind where the Beehive stands today: a replica stands at the Bolton Street entrance to an early cemetery for Wellington, alongside the original sextons cottage. The current Wellington Cathedral church for the Diocese was dedicated, partially completed, in the name of St Paul in 1964. Completion was in stages and in 2001 it was consecrated.
List of bishops The following individuals have served as the Bishop of Wellington, or any precursor title:
Ordinal Officeholder Term start Term end Notes Charles Abraham Previously Archdeacon of Waitemata Octavius Hadfield 1870 1893 Previously Archdeacon of Kapiti; also Primate of New Zealand, 1890–1893 Frederic Wallis 1895 1911 Afterwards Archdeacon of Wilts UK, 1911 Thomas Sprott 1911 1936 St Barbe Holland 1936 1946 Afterwards Dean of Norwich, UK Reginald Owen 1947 1960 Also Archbishop of New Zealand, 1952–1960 Henry Baines 1960 1972 Translated from Singapore Edward Norman 1973 1986 Previously Archdeacon of Wellington and vicar of the Parish of Karori (Church of St Mary) Brian Davis 1986 1997 Translated from Waikato; also Archbishop of New Zealand Tom Brown 1998 2012 Previously Archdeacon of Belmont and vicar of Lower Hutt (Church of St James) incumbent
Assistant Bishops of Wellington E. J. Rich 1991–1998 Tom Brown 23 February 19911999: Brian Carrell, Bishop in Palmerston NorthACANZP Lectionary, 2019 (p. 145) 1997–?: Hāpai Winiata 2 June 20172022: Eleanor Sanderson<Bishop of Hull>
2024–present: Anashuya Fletcher
Archdeaconries
Archdeacons of Wellington 1870-1888: Ven Arthur Stock 1888-1919: Ven Thomas Fancourt 1961: Ven Henry Childs-(Later Dean of Waiapu Cathedral) 1965: Ven Harry Arnold Ven Edward Norman-(Later Bishop of Wellington) 2016-2019: Ven Fr Stephen King
Archdeacons of Wairarapa
Archdeacons of Ohariu
Archdeacons of Belmont
Archdeacons of Whanganui
Archdeacons of Manawatu
Former Archdeaconry
Archdeacons of Kapiti
References
External links Anglican Diocese of Wellington Te Ara: Encyclopedia of New Zealand 1966 - Octavius Hadfield Dictionary of New Zealand Biography - Octavius Hadfield Diocese of Wellington