Geoffrey Sambell

Geoffrey Tremayne Sambell CMG, Mention in Dispatches (28 October 1914 – 19 December 1980[1]) was an Australian Anglican bishop and World War 2 army chaplain.

Ketoba, New Guinea, 1944-01-29. Padre Sambell, Unit Chaplain of 57th/60th Battalion, conducting an impromptu prayer meeting on a track near the Boku River.

Sambell was born on 28 October 1914 at Broadford, Victoria.[2] He was educated at Melbourne High School and studied at The University of Melbourne. He was Deacon in 1940 and ordained in early 1941.[3][4] He began his ordained ministry in Malvern, Victoria, before enlisting in 1942 as an army chaplain,[5] serving during World War 2 with the Second Australian Imperial Force in the jungles of the north western ranges of New Guinea (Service Number VX104114).[6] He ministered first to soldiers of the 57th/60th Battalion which was raised in Victoria[7] and then to the 2/11th Battalion raised from Western Australia.[8] He was an extremely popular padre among the soldiers he served, and with whom he served.[9] Sambell's studies at The University of Melbourne were interrupted by the war, and he graduated Bachelor of Arts after recommencing his studies (as so many did) after the war.[10]

Following the war he became director of the Melbourne Diocesan Centre,[11] Director of the Brotherhood of St Laurence.[12] He was Archdeacon of Essendon, and then of Melbourne.[13] He was Bishop Coadjutor of Diocese from 1962 to 1969 when he was elected Archbishop of Perth[14] and Metropolitan of Western Australia,[15] posts he held to his death.