For the first time, the bishop of a non-metropolitan diocese has been elected Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia.
The Bishop of Canberra & Goulburn, Dr Mark Short, was elected last Saturday to succeed the current Primate, the Archbishop of Adelaide, the Most Revd Geoffrey Smith, (News, 16 May). Archbishop Smith’s resignation will take effect on 31 October. Dr Short will assume his duties on 1 November, while remaining Bishop of his diocese. After an initial term of six years, he could be re-elected for a further three.
All former Primates since the inception of the office in 1872 have been bishops or archbishops of the five metropolitan dioceses: Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth.
The Rt Revd Dr Mark Short has served as 11th Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn since 6 April 2019. He will DV assume office as 17th Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia on 1 November 2025. The first time a diocesan who was not also an Archbishop has been chosen for the role. pic.twitter.com/eO4JttNGwN
— AustralianAnglican (@AustAnglican) July 19, 2025