John Douglas Harrower (born 16 October 1947) is an Australian Anglican bishop who served as the eleventh Bishop of Tasmania from 2000 to 2015.[1]


John Harrower
Bishop of Tasmania
ChurchAnglican Church of Australia
DioceseTasmania
In office2000–2015
PredecessorPhilip Newell
SuccessorRichard Condie
Other post(s)Vicar of Glen Waverley
Assistant bishop in the Diocese of Melbourne (2015–2020)
Orders
Consecration25 July 2000
Personal details
Born(1947-10-16)16 October 1947
SpouseGayelene Harrower

Harrower was educated at the University of Melbourne and worked as a petroleum engineer and industrial consultant. In 1979, he went with the Church Missionary Society to Argentina, where he worked with university Christian groups.[2] He was ordained as a deacon in 1984 and priest in 1986.[3] Harrower returned to Australia in 1988 and became successively the Vicar of Glen Waverley and Archdeacon of Kew before his appointment to the episcopate in 2000.[4] He retired at the end of September 2015.

From 2015 until 2020,[5] Harrower worked as an assistant bishop in the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne, where his role is to assist Archbishop Philip Freier in his duties as Anglican Primate of Australia. His role involved document preparation, research, attendance at related meetings, assisting the Primate in his pastoral care to Australian bishops, and responsibility for the Archbishop's external media and communications.[6] Harrower retired from the role when Freier's term as Primate ended on 31 March 2020.[5]

He is married to Gayelene Harrower.[7]

References edit

  1. ^ Anglican Communion website.
  2. ^ Sayer, Megan. "The God of Life: An Interview with Bishop John". Ultra 106.5. Archived from the original on 28 August 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  3. ^ "Biographical details". Archived from the original on 14 May 2009. Retrieved 8 January 2010.
  4. ^ anglicansonline[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ a b Brolly, Mark (7 May 2020). "Bishop retires again but his helping hand knows no rest". The Melbourne Anglican. No. May 2020. Anglican Diocese of Melbourne. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2020.
  6. ^ "Bishop John Harrower". Anglican Diocese of Melbourne. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  7. ^ Anglican Communion Directory, March 2000
Anglican Communion titles
Preceded by Bishop of Tasmania
2000–2015
Succeeded by