Ian George

Ian Gordon Combe George AO (12 August 1934 – 29 January 2019) was an Australian Anglican bishop. He was the third Archbishop of Adelaide and Metropolitan of South Australia from 1991 to 2004.[1]

For the Australian footballer, see Ian George (footballer).

Archbishop George in 1995

Early life and education

George was educated at St Peter's College, Adelaide and the University of Adelaide.[2]

Career

After an earlier career as a lawyer, he was ordained a priest in 1964. He held curacies at St Thomas's Mamaroneck and St David's Burnside;[3] and was then priest in charge at St Barbara's Woomera. After this he was a chaplain and lecturer in history at the University of Western Australia. He was Dean of Brisbane from 1973 to 1981 when he became Archdeacon of Canberra. In 1989, he was appointed an assistant bishop of the diocese, consecrated on 28 October;[4] and in 1991 was translated to Adelaide.

George ordained five women to the priesthood on 5 December 1992 at St Peter's Cathedral in Adelaide.[5]

George was recognised in the 2001 Australia Day Honours as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) "for service to the Anglican Church, ecumenism and to the community through engagement in social policy issues and international relief work." His passion for refugees was a hallmark of his social engagement, in particular during his time as Archbishop of Adelaide.[6]

A keen supporter of the arts, especially the visual arts, George loved to make links between the great Christian themes of forgiveness, redemption and resurrection and the great masters. His Good Friday tours of the Art Gallery of South Australia were one way he expressed his love of the arts.[7] He was co-author with painter David Dridan in the publication Artists of the Fleurieu (2008).

In 2004, George resigned from the role of archbishop due to mishandling of sex abuse allegations.[8] This was just 10 weeks before he was due to retire.[9] Later, he admitted he should have listened to the priest who blew the whistle on the Brandenburg sex-abuse scandal that engulfed the church and cost him his job. At the Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse in January 2015 he described this as a "serious error in judgement".[10]

George moved to Melbourne following his resignation as Archbishop of Adelaide. He suffered a stroke in late 2018, and another in early 2019. He died at The Alfred Hospital two weeks later, on 29 January 2019.[11]

Personal life

George was married to Barbara George.[12]

References
  1. "St Columba College". Archived from the original on 17 February 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  2. Who's Who, 2007" London, AC Black, 2006 ISBN 978-0-7136-7527-6
  3. Crockford's Clerical Directory 1975–76, London: Oxford University Press, 1976 ISBN 0-19-200008-X
  4. Anglican Archives Archived 10 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  5. "The Ordination Of Women To The Priesthood: 25 Years On". Adelaide Anglicans. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  6. "Australia Day Honours List 2001" (PDF).
  7. "Art Gallery of South Australia Good Friday tours".
  8. "Archbishop quits over sex scandal". The Age. 12 June 2004. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  9. "The World Today – Anglican plans to honour Ian George cause controversy". www.abc.net.au. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  10. Statement of Ian George to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (PDF). 2015. pp. Paragraphs 22, 40.
  11. Hunt, Nigel (29 January 2019). "Disgraced archbishop Ian George dies in Melbourne hospital". The Advertiser. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  12. Anglican Communion Directory, March 2000
Anglican Communion titles
Preceded by
Keith Rayner		 Archbishop of Adelaide
1991–2004		 Succeeded by
Jeffrey Driver
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