17 Facts About Sydney Kirkby

Sydney James Kirkby was a bishop of the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania.

Sydney Kirkby was born in Sandhurst, Victoria, the eleventh child of Joseph Kirkby, a clerk, and his wife Alice Maude Paine Kirkby, both natives of England.

Sydney Kirkby was sent by Bishop Langley to Moore Theological College in Sydney, where he proved a very capable student.

Sydney Kirkby was selected as an Abbott scholar and senior student for 1905 and was one of the few students who took a first in the Oxford and Cambridge preliminary examination.

Sydney Kirkby returned to Bendigo, and was made a deacon on 24 December 1905, and placed at Pyramid Hill, Victoria.

Sydney Kirkby remained there though 1912 and graduated with as Bachelor of Arts degree.

Sydney Kirkby was a popular preacher, and a capable administrator and efficient organizer.

Sydney Kirkby believed that Evangelicals had a role to play in the missions in the Outback.

The new group did not have widespread support from the Anglican clergy of Australia, Archbishop John Charles Wright of Sydney Kirkby being one of its few supporters.

Sydney Kirkby was already the part-time archdeacon of Camden, New South Wales and was now appointed coadjutor bishop of Sydney, with a specific assignment to St Philip's Church, Sydney.

At St Philip's Sydney Kirkby proved to be quite popular, with his weekday lunchtime services attracting large numbers of people.

Sydney Kirkby had the duty of presiding over the election of the new archbishop to replace Archbishop Wright.

Sydney Kirkby was himself nominated for the post, against his own wishes, but successfully worked to limit his own chances of getting the post.

Sydney Kirkby helped bring the synod through an exhausting session which gave the post to Bishop Howard Mowll of West China, through a skillfully managed effort behind the scenes.

Mowll was enthroned as archbishop in March 1934 and Sydney Kirkby continued as an assistant to the new archbishop, although he was much more personally interested in his work with his congregation at St Philip's.

Sydney Kirkby was afflicted with chronic nephritis, which led to his death in Royal Prince Alfred Hospital on 12 July 1935.

Sydney Kirkby was survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters.