Peter Hollingworth

Born in Adelaide, South Australia, Hollingworth moved to Melbourne, Victoria, in 1940. After attending Lloyd Street and Murrumbeena primary schools he received his secondary-school education at Scotch College, Melbourne, then began a cadetship with BHP, an Australian mining company.[1]

Hollingworth was conscripted for national service in 1953 and, after basic training at the Royal Australian Air Force base at Point Cook, he began working in the chaplain's office and discerned a vocation to ordained ministry.[1] After matriculating in 1954 he enrolled at the University of Melbourne, residing at Trinity College as a member of its school of theology. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1958 and a Licentiate of Theology in 1959.

On 6 February 1960 he married Kathleen Ann Turner, an obstetric physiotherapist, whom he had met while on National Service.[2] The couple have three daughters.[1]

Hollingworth was ordained as an Anglican priest in 1960.[3] He became deacon-in-charge and then priest-in-charge of St Mary's North Melbourne, in a group ministry of the Anglican Inner City Mission within the Melbourne Diocesan Centre. In 1964 he joined the Brotherhood of St Laurence, an independent Anglican welfare organisation, as chaplain and director of youth and children's work, then as director of social policy and research. He completed a master's degree in social work and in 1980 was appointed executive director of the Brotherhood of St Laurence,[3] where he served for 25 years and was involved in other associated community and welfare bodies.

Hollingworth wrote several books about his work with the poor which became educational texts. As a public advocate on welfare policy he argued that "poverty should be looked at in terms of the structure of society rather than the individual case."[3]

Hollingworth was elected a canon of St Paul's Cathedral in 1980 and became the Bishop in the Inner City[4] upon his consecration, 24 February 1985.[5]

In 1989, Hollingworth was elected the 8th Archbishop of Brisbane, where he continued his advocacy for the poor and underprivileged and supported the ordination of women.[3][4]

Hollingworth was chairman of the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless National NGO Committee and was named Australian of the Year for 1991, being described as "Australia’s foremost spokesman for social justice". He used his public profile to criticise government policy in relation to Aboriginal welfare and youth unemployment.[3]

In 1998, he attended as an appointed delegate to the 1998 Australian Constitutional Convention.[6]

Peter and Ann Hollingworth

On 22 April 2001 the Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard, announced that Queen Elizabeth II had accepted his advice to appoint Hollingworth as Governor-General of Australia upon the completion of Sir William Deane's term. He was the first Christian cleric to hold the post, though precedent existed at a state level where Aboriginal pastor Sir Doug Nicholls and Uniting Church minister Sir Keith Seaman had served as Governor of South Australia and Davis McCaughey had served as Governor of Victoria. On 29 June 2001, Hollingworth was sworn in as Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Force.[7] As the governor-general is the chancellor and principal companion of the Order of Australia, Hollingworth was appointed a companion of the order (AC) on 29 June 2001.[8]

In 2015–2016, Hollingworth faced questions as part of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in regards to his handling of abuse claims while he was Archbishop of Brisbane. He has apologised to victims for not pursuing their claims more rigorously.[13] There was a case to defrock Hollingworth[14] (through the Anglican church's complaints process[15]) over allowing an "incurable" pedophile to remain in his position for 5 years after becoming aware of his abuse of children.[14] Although the tribunal made several findings of misconduct, it described Hollingworth as "fit for ministry" and recommended he be kept on as a priest, provided Hollingworth apologised and was reprimanded.[15]

In 1976, Hollingworth was appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)[16] and in 1988 he was appointed an officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for his work in church and community.[17] In 2001 he was awarded the Centenary Medal[18] and later the same year was promoted to companion of the Order of Australia (AC)[19] upon his appointment as Governor-General taking effect. As well as these secular honours he was elected as a canon of St Paul's Cathedral in Melbourne in 1980. In 1991 he was named Australian of the Year and was included in the inaugural list of Australian Living Treasures in 1997.[20]

On 21 May 2001, Hollingworth was awarded the Lambeth degree of Doctor of Letters (DLitt) by George Carey, the then Archbishop of Canterbury. He was awarded the doctorate in recognition of his research, publications, teaching and achievements in the fields of Christian social ethics, social welfare and poverty studies and episcopal leadership.[21] In addition to this doctorate he already had six honorary doctorates from Australian universities.

• Hollingworth, Peter (1972), The powerless poor : a comprehensive guide to poverty in Australia, Stockland Press, ISBN 978-0-909474-07-2
• Scott, David; Hollingworth, Peter (1974), The waiting poor : an argument for abolition of the waiting period on unemployment and sickness benefits, The Brotherhood of St. Laurence, ISBN 978-0-909571-21-4
• Hollingworth, Peter (1975), The poor : victims of affluence, Pitman, ISBN 978-0-85896-445-7
• Barry, Romuald; Hally, Cyril; Hollingworth, Peter (1978), The Australian religious and poverty, Society of St. Paul, ISBN 978-0-909986-55-1
• Hollingworth, Peter (1979), Australians in poverty, Thomas Nelson (Australia), ISBN 978-0-17-005241-2
• Hollingworth, Peter (1981), Christianity and social order : from Maurice to Temple and beyond, Companions of St. Laurence, ISBN 978-0-9594389-0-1
• Hollingworth, Peter (1987), Be it ever so humble there's no place like home : the seventh G. T. Sambell memorial oration, G. T. Sambell Memorial Trust, ISBN 978-0-947081-14-0
• Hollingworth, Peter (1991), Kingdom come! : meditations and studies for Lent and other times, Anglican Information Office, ISBN 978-0-949108-75-3
• Hollingworth, Peter (1996), Public thoughts of an archbishop, Corporation of the Synod of the Diocese of Brisbane, ISBN 978-1-875650-93-4
• Hollingworth, Peter; Comben, Lyn (1999), Memories of bush ministry and the challenge of the future, Anglican Diocese of Brisbane, ISBN 978-0-646-38068-1

• Report by the Board of Inquiry