Past Rectors

RECTORS OF CHRIST CHURCH  1849 – 2012

WILLIAM JOHN WOODCOCK (1849 -1868)

Born in 1808, he came out to South Australia with his wife and two children in 1846, under the auspices of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, bringing with him flattering testimonials from a former governor, Colonel George Gawler. He was a strong Evangelical and a man of independent thought. He became a Canon in 1849 and Archdeacon of Adelaide in 1856. He was one of the founders of the Collegiate School of St Peter and a House of that school bears his name. He died in 1868, aged 60.

CHARLES MARRYAT (1868 – 1906)

His election as the second incumbent was challenged in the courts because Bishop Short, who was one of the trustees and acted as chairman, exercised as casting as well as a deliberative vote in the election. However, the court decided in favour of Canon Marryat as he had accepted the living and taken possession of it in being handed the keys of the church.

Marryat was a man of great energy and ability and belonged to a celebrated family. He had been educated at Eton and Queen’s College, Oxford, and ordained priest at Canterbury in 1851. He had been a Canon of Adelaide since 1857 and, on suceeding Woodcock at North Adelaide, was appointed Archdeacon of Adelaide. In 1886 he became the Dean of Adelaide, a post he held together with the incumbency of North Adelaide until his death. In 1905, he and his wife celebrated their golden wedding and he died on 29 September 1906.

GEORGE HERBERT JOSE (1907 -1933)

Born in 1868 at Bristol, England, he was educated at Clifton College and Worcester College Oxford. From 1891-99 Jose had worked with his wife as a CMS missionary in China. After ordination in England and curacies at Gloucester and Oxford he and his wife came to Adelaide in 1903 where he was in charge of St Cyprian’s, Lower North Adelaide. He was appointed a Canon of Adelaide in 1918 and Archdeacon of Adelaide in 1929. He resigned the incumbency of Christ Church in 1933 to become Dean of Adelaide until his retirement in 1953. Jose wrote the Annals of Christ Church in 1921, The Story of Jesus Christ in 1930 and a three volume history of The Church of England in South Australia (1937, 1954, 1955). He died in 1956.

Jose himself was deeply involved in war work, being chaplain AMF 1915-19 and Deputy Senior Chaplain 1916-18. He was personally affected by the tragedy of war for his son Wilfred was killed in action in France. Another son Ivan also enlisted but returned having been awarded the Military Cross.

CHARLES HERBERT MURRAY (1933 – 1938) 

Murray came from Melbourne and was instituted as Rector of Christ Church on 1 November 1933. In 1936 he also became priest in charge of St Cyprian’s Lower North Adelaide. To help him care for the two parishes he had two assistant curates. His gifts as a preacher and religious educator caused him to be much in demand. He also became chaplain of Queen’s School, St Peter’s Collegiate Girls’ School, and Creveen School, all in North Adelaide and was active among university students in the Students’ Christian Movement. He also became a lecturer at St  Barnabas’ Theological College. He was instrumental in the creation of the Lady Chapel and the introduction of Eucharistic vestments.

In 1938 he left Christ Church to return to Melbourne where he became Vicar of Christ Church, South Yarra. Murray was appointed Bishop of Riverina in 1944. Tragically, Murray was killed in 1950 in the Australian National Airways Douglas DC-4 aeroplane crash, along with the Dean of Newcastle, the Reverend Norman Blow, and 27 other passengers and crew.

ARTHUR LESLIE BULBECK (1938 -1957) 

Born in  England in 1894, Bulbeck came to South Australia with his family in 1911. He enlisted in the AIF in 1915 and served until 1919 when he re-entered St Barnabas’ Theological College to complete his training and was ordained priest in 1921 when he served his curacy at Christ Church under Canon Jose. Following ministries at  Mannum, Henley Beach, Renmark and Clare, he became Rector of Christ Church in November 1938. He took leave from the incumbency of Christ Church in 1940 to become Chaplain of the 1st Australian Corps of duty overseas.

Canon S.T.C. Best was appointed locum tenens at Christ Church and maintained the parish, with the help of young assistant curates, for four years until the Rector returned in 1944. At that time Bulbeck was Deputy Assistant Chaplain-General, 3rd Aust. Corps. He was appointed Senior chaplain in South Australia in 1947. Also in 1947 he was appointed Archdeacon of The Broughton and a Canon of the Incorporated Chapter in 1949. He resigned in 1957 and died on 29 September 1964.

GEORGE BENJAMIN McWILLIAMS (1957 – 1965)

McWilliams was ordained priest in the Diocese of Melbourne in 1934. He was a RAAF chaplain at the outbreak of war and served until 1947. He was in the Far East Command and in the North Eastern Area. After the war he was a priest in Melbourne until taking  the incumbency of Christ Church.

Like his predecessor, McWilliams found that his years as chaplain in the forces had given him the ability to get on well with all sorts of people, and especially with men. He differed from all his predecessors in that he was a bachelor. However, he loved company and was generous in hospitality. He suffered a heart attack in the rectory and died on 27 September 1965.

RICHARD MELLON SOUTHEY (1966 – 1973)

Rev. Southey graduated from Trinity College, Melbourne, earning a Bachelor of Arts (1932) and a Licentiate in Theology (1935). He was ordained as a Deacon in 1932 and as a Priest in 1936. His ministry began with a curacy at St Peter’s by the Lake, Paynesville, in the Diocese of Gippsland. He later served as Vicar of Foster and then Omeo before joining the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) as a Chaplain during World War II, ministering in the Middle East from 1940 to 1943.

Upon his return to Australia, Rev. Southey held numerous roles, including Examining Chaplain to the Bishop of Gippsland, Assistant Editor of Church News, and Honorary Canon of St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne. He served as Parish Priest in Leongatha, Yarram, and Spotswood, before being appointed Rector of St Peter’s, Box Hill, in 1960.

In 1966, Rev. Southey relocated to South Australia, where he became Rector of Christ Church, North Adelaide, and Priest-in-Charge of St Cyprian’s. He was deeply loved for his compassionate spiritual guidance, particularly in preparing parishioners for the sacramental rites of the Church. Beyond his ministry, he devoted himself to transforming the Rectory garden from a plain and austere space into a place of beauty and serenity, reflecting his care for both his parish family and his surroundings.

Due to declining health, Rev. Southey resigned in 1973. He lived in retirement with his wife in Clearview until his death on 25 September 1984.

ALEXANDER RUSSELL CAMERON (1973 – 1990)

Cameron was one of the first group of ordinands who were trained for the priesthood at St Michael’s House at Mt Lofty. During World War II he served in the Royal Australian Navy and was ordained In Victoria in 1954. He became Rector of Fullarton in 1965 before his appointment to Christ Church. He was appointed a Canon in 1982. His ministry was noted for the exemplary manner in  which he ministered to the needs of the burgeoning  hospice and hospital population within the parish. His own health failed and he died on 23 August 1990.

JOHN PAUL COLLAS (1991 – 2002)

The Venerable John Paul Collas served as the ninth Rector of Christ Church, North Adelaide, from 1991 to 2002, following a distinguished ministry across several parishes in South Australia. Prior to his appointment at Christ Church, he served as Rector of Glen Osmond (1978–1991) and was appointed Archdeacon of Sturt in 1990. After taking up the position at Christ Church, he was collated as Archdeacon of Adelaide in March 1996 during a service at St Peter’s Cathedral.

Collas trained at the Society of the Sacred Mission (SSM), the Australian College of Theology (ACT), and St John’s College, Morpeth. He was ordained as a priest in 1963 at St Peter’s Cathedral, Adelaide. His early ministry included a curacy in Mount Gambier, followed by service in parishes such as Norton Summit, Kangaroo Island, Glenunga, Tea Tree Gully, and Glen Osmond. In 1991, he accepted the Cure of Souls at Christ Church, North Adelaide, where he served faithfully for 11 years.

During his incumbency, Collas oversaw significant contributions to the parish, including the establishment of the Memorial Garden on the church’s north side for the interment of ashes. This garden was dedicated by the Archbishop of York, the Most Rev’d Dr David Hope, on 7th June 1998, as part of the celebrations marking 150 years of Christian witness in North Adelaide.

Collas’s leadership extended far beyond Christ Church. He served on the councils of St Peter’s Girls’ School, St Peter’s Woodlands Grammar School, and Walford Anglican School for Girls. He also served as Chaplain to the Order of St John of Jerusalem (Hospitaller). In 2002, Collas resigned from Christ Church to take on the role of Vicar General of the Diocese of Adelaide. From 2004, he served as Administrator sede vacante and continued in this role until his retirement in 2006.

For his exemplary service to the Anglican Church of Australia and the wider community, Collas was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2009. His citation recognized his contributions to church leadership and the broader community.

SIMON BAILEY (2003-2007)

Christ Church was Bailey’s first parish in Australia, having studied and worked in the United Kingdom. He was awarded a MusB (Hons) in 1977 from the Victoria University of Manchester; a PGradCertEd from Cambridge University in 1978 and a BComSt from Nottingham University in 1983. Bailey studied at Lincoln Theological College and in 1984 was ordained in the Diocese of Ripon and Leeds. After working in parishes in the Dioceses of Ripon, Leicester and Bradford, he moved to Australia with his family to become the Rector of Christ Church in 2003. Bailey was Area Dean of Adelaide from 2006 to 2007.

In 2007, Rev. Bailey became the Rector of the Parish of Glen Osmond, a position he held for nine years. In September 2016, he was appointed Anglican Parish Priest in Gawler, South Australia.

Beyond his clerical duties, Rev. Bailey has maintained a lifelong passion for music, particularly as a trumpet player. He performed with the Unley Symphony Orchestra, reflecting his deep appreciation for the arts alongside his commitment to ministry.

LYNDON JOHN SULZBERGER (2007 – 2012)

Rev. Lyndon John Sulzberger served as the eleventh Rector of Christ Church, North Adelaide, from 2007 to 2012. Born in Tasmania, he trained for ministry at St Barnabas College, Adelaide, from 1997 to 1998.

Following his ordination, Rev. Sulzberger began his ministry as Assistant Curate at St Michael’s, Mitcham, in 1999. In 2001, he moved to St Luke’s, Mosman, in Sydney, where he served as Assistant Priest and later as Priest. During his tenure at St Luke’s, he led a vibrant and growing traditional Anglican parish, known for its rich liturgical culture and history. His leadership in mission and evangelism was marked by his ability to inspire and guide a large and diverse staff team.

In 2007, Rev. Sulzberger returned to Adelaide to take up the position of Rector at Christ Church, North Adelaide. While serving at Christ Church, he contributed to the Anglican Board of Mission’s 2008 Pew Reflections, sharing his passion for mission and encouraging others to articulate their faith.

After resigning from Christ Church in 2012, Rev. Sulzberger continued his ministry in various parishes. Throughout his ministry, Rev. Sulzberger has been widely recognized for his dedication to mission, evangelism, and pastoral care within the Anglican Church, leaving a lasting impact on the communities he has served.

KEITH PATRICK BRICE (2013–2020)

After discerning his vocation and studying for four years at St Michael’s House, Crafers, with the Society of the Sacred Mission, Rev. Keith Brice was ordained as a Deacon in 1980 and as a Priest in 1981 at St Peter’s Cathedral, Adelaide, by the Most Reverend Dr. Keith Rayner, Archbishop of Adelaide.

Following his ordination, Rev. Brice served curacies at St Margaret’s, Woodville, and St Jude’s, Brighton. In 1983, he was appointed Priest-in-Charge at St John the Baptist, Hillcrest. He later became Rector of Christ Church, O’Halloran Hill, in 1987. In 1992, he undertook a specialized ministry in Murray Bridge for two years before becoming Rector at Naracoorte. During his time in Naracoorte, he also served as an ITIM Chaplain and Canon of the Diocese of the Murray.

Rev. Brice was then invited by the Bishop of Wangaratta to serve at St Matthew’s, Albury. Over the next eight years, he took on multiple responsibilities, including Rural Dean, Vicar General, and Police and Country Fire Authority (CFA) Chaplain.

In 2008, he returned to South Australia as Rector of St Michael’s, Mitcham. Five years later, in 2013, he accepted the call to become Rector of Christ Church, North Adelaide. Rev. Brice faithfully served the parish until 2020, when ill health necessitated his resignation.

Throughout his ministry, Rev. Brice was known for his pastoral care, leadership, and dedication to both his parish and broader community roles. His legacy of service continues to be remembered with deep gratitude.