![Augustus Short 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/ff/Augustus_Short_2.jpeg)
Augustus Short (11 June 1802 – 5 October 1883) was the first
Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
bishop of
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
, South Australia.
Early life and career
Born at
Bickham House, near
Exeter
Exeter () is a city in Devon, South West England. It is situated on the River Exe, approximately northeast of Plymouth and southwest of Bristol.
In Roman Britain, Exeter was established as the base of Legio II Augusta under the personal comm ...
, Devon, England, the third son of
Charles Short
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was " ...
, a London barrister, offspring of an old English county family, and his wife Grace,
[Dirk van Dissel,]
Short, Augustus (1802 - 1883)
, ''Australian Dictionary of Biography
The ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'' (ADB or AuDB) is a national co-operative enterprise founded and maintained by the Australian National University (ANU) to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's ...
'', Vol. 6, MUP, 1976, pp 122-123. retrieved 20 January 2010 daughter of Humphrey Millett.
Short was educated at
Westminster School
(God Gives the Increase)
, established = Earliest records date from the 14th century, refounded in 1560
, type = Public school Independent day and boarding school
, religion = Church of England
, head_label = Hea ...
and
Christ Church, Oxford
Christ Church ( la, Ædes Christi, the temple or house, '' ædēs'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, the college is uniqu ...
, where he received first-class honours in classics and graduated with a
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
in 1826
[ and D. D. 1847.][
Short took orders in the Church of England as deacon in 1826 and priest in 1827 and in the same year accepted the curacy of ]Culham
Culham is a village and civil parish in a bend of the River Thames, south of Abingdon in Oxfordshire. The parish includes Culham Science Centre and Europa School UK (formerly the European School, Culham, which was the only Accredited Europea ...
, near Abingdon, Oxfordshire
Abingdon-on-Thames ( ), commonly known as Abingdon, is a historic market town and civil parish in the ceremonial county of Oxfordshire, England, on the River Thames. Historically the county town of Berkshire, since 1974 Abingdon has been admin ...
. In 1829 he resigned to become a tutor and lecturer in his old college; one of his students was William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British statesman and Liberal politician. In a career lasting over 60 years, he served for 12 years as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, spread over four non-conse ...
. In March 1833 he was appointed public examiner in the classical schools, and in January 1834 was made junior censor. In June 1835 he was presented as vicar by the dean and chapter of Christ Church to the living of Ravensthorpe, Northamptonshire
Ravensthorpe is a village and civil parish in West Northamptonshire in England. The village lies approximately midway between Northampton and Rugby. The M1 motorway is six miles west and the nearest railway station is at Long Buckby. At the time ...
.[ The church and parsonage were both badly in need of repairs and restoration, the church was badly attended, and the education of the children neglected. Short, by assiduous visiting and hard work, succeeded in making considerable improvements in all these directions. In December 1835 he married Millecent (or Millicent) Phillips, second daughter of John Phillips of Culham House, Oxfordshire,][ who survived him with several daughters and a son, Henry Augustus Short. Henry Augustus married Ethel Catherine Edgerton-Warburton (the eldest daughter of Colonel ]Peter Egerton Warburton
Colonel Peter Egerton-Warburton (16 August 1813 – 5 November 1889), often referred to as Major Warburton, was a British military officer, Commissioner of Police for South Australia, and an Australian explorer. In 1872 he sealed his legacy th ...
) on 28 October 1871.
Short published in 1838, ''Sermons intended principally to illustrate the Remedial Character of the Christian Scheme'', was appointed Bampton lecturer
The Bampton Lectures at the University of Oxford, England, were founded by a bequest of John Bampton. They have taken place since 1780.
They were a series of annual lectures; since the turn of the 20th century they have typically been biennial ...
in April 1845, and preached the course at Oxford in 1846. The lectures were published in the same year under the title ''The Witness of the Spirit with our Spirit''.
Career as a bishop
In 1845[ the archbishop of Canterbury offered Short the choice of two newly established sees, ]Newcastle, New South Wales
Newcastle ( ; Awabakal: ) is a metropolitan area and the second most populated city in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It includes the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie local government areas, and is the hub of the Greater Newcastle area, w ...
, and Adelaide, South Australia. Short decided to accept Adelaide and on 29 June (St Peter's Day), 1847,[ was consecrated at ]Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...
. Short sailed in the ''Derwent''[ for Adelaide on 1 September and arrived on 28 December 1847, the eleventh anniversary of the proclamation of the colony. There were then only five churches in the diocese, three at Adelaide, one at Blakiston and another at ]Gawler
Gawler is the oldest country town on the Australian mainland in the state of South Australia. It was named after the second Governor (British Vice-Regal representative) of the colony of South Australia, George Gawler. It is about north of the ...
. Short travelled through the settled parts of South Australia, and before the end of 1848 went to Western Australia, then a part of his diocese, where he consecrated that state's first church, St John's Anglican Church, Albany. He returned to Adelaide early in 1849, and on 24 May 1849 laid the first stone of St Peter's College, Adelaide
, other_name = The Collegiate School of St Peter
, seal_image = St Peter's College, Adelaide Logo.svg
, seal_size = 150
, image = SPSC chapel and memorial hall.jpg
, image_size ...
, founded in 1847 by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge
The Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK) is a UK-based Christian charity. Founded in 1698 by Thomas Bray, it has worked for over 300 years to increase awareness of the Christian faith in the UK and across the world.
The SPCK is th ...
and William Allen William Allen may refer to:
Politicians
United States
*William Allen (congressman) (1827–1881), United States Representative from Ohio
*William Allen (governor) (1803–1879), U.S. Representative, Senator, and 31st Governor of Ohio
*William ...
, a wealthy philanthropist. He was the first president of its council of governors. He consecrated Christ Church, North Adelaide
Christ Church, North Adelaide is an Anglican church on Acre 745 which lays between Jeffcott Street and 36-40 Palmer Place, , South Australia, Australia. The foundation stone was laid on 1 June 1848 by Augustus Short, the first Bishop of Adelaide ...
in December 1849.
Funding
In August 1851 the withdrawal of state aid to religion[ compelled the Church of England in South Australia to devise a voluntary system of maintaining itself. Short, who had prepared a draft constitution for the diocese, visited England in 1853, sailing from ]Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide is a port-side region of Adelaide, approximately northwest of the Adelaide CBD. It is also the namesake of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield council, a suburb, a federal and state electoral division and is the main port for the ...
aboard the ''Shackamaxon'' with his wife and children. There he obtained counsels' opinion, which agreed that it was competent for a colonial diocese to organise itself without Imperial authority. The constitution was submitted in October 1855 to a diocesan assembly and was adopted. In 1856 the diocese of Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
was founded and Short was relieved of the oversight of the whole of Western Australia, a difficult task especially in view of the limited means of communication.
The Adelaide diocese had been presented with some land in the city by W. Leigh, the income from which became very useful for general diocesan purposes, and by the liberality of William Allen the pastoral aid fund was instituted. Other funds for the endowment of the diocese and for providing retiring allowances for the clergy were also successfully initiated.
Charitable works
In 1856 he instigated, with the support of Adelaide churches of all denominations, the South Australian Female Refuge for practical support and protection of homeless girls and women, and was its first vice-president. The facility, previously known as "Norwood House", at the corner of Sydenham Road and William Street, Norwood, opened in 1857, and in later years was known more simply as the South Australian Refuge.
Adelaide cathedral
Soon after Short's acceptance of the see, he made enquiries about a site for a cathedral and was informed that the centre of Victoria Square had been allotted for this purpose by Governor Frederick Robe.[ This was objected to by the city council and Short decided to have the question finally settled and brought a friendly lawsuit for this purpose. The decision went against Short and eventually the present site in North Adelaide was bought. Subscriptions were raised but the building was not begun until 1869. It was consecrated as St Peter's Cathedral on 1 January 1878.
]
Late career and death
Short was a fine scholar and a thoughtful preacher, always endeavouring to convince by argument rather than by the use of rhetoric. He was interested in education and was elected vice-chancellor of University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on N ...
when it was founded in 1874, and chancellor in 1876.
In November 1881 Short became ill while preaching and under medical advice decided to retire. He left Adelaide for London on 6 January 1882.[ On 30 November he attended the consecration of George Wyndham Kennion as second bishop of Adelaide, and handed him the pastoral staff which had been presented to Short by the clergy and ]laity
In religious organizations, the laity () consists of all members who are not part of the clergy, usually including any non-ordained members of religious orders, e.g. a nun or a lay brother.
In both religious and wider secular usage, a layperson ...
of Adelaide on the twenty-fifth anniversary of his consecration. Short died at Eastbourne
Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. Eastbourne is immediately east of Beachy Head, the highest chalk sea cliff in Great Britain and part of the la ...
(or London[) on 5 October 1883, his estate was valued for probate at £8200.][
Short was regarded as kind and modest, a good business man and an excellent administrator who could deal with church matters with firmness, wisdom and discretion. A good man and a good colonist, with a great capacity for work, he had all the qualities of a great pioneer bishop.
Short Street in ]Fremantle
Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for ...
is named after him.
Bibliography
* Fred T. Whitington ''Augustus Short, first bishop of Adelaide : a chapter of colonial church history'' E.S. Wigg & Son, Adelaide, 1887.
*
See also
* Beaumont House
Beaumont House, occasionally known as ''Claremont'', is an eclectic Romanesque- Classical brick residence located at 631 Glynburn Road in Beaumont, South Australia. Beaumont House was constructed for Augustus Short, the first Anglican bishop ...
, Short's now-historical residence
* North Road Cemetery
North Road Cemetery is located in the Adelaide suburb of Nailsworth, approximately 5 km north of the central business district. It is 7.3 hectares (18 acres) in size and there have been over 26,000 burials since its foundation in 1853. Th ...
, an historic cemetery established by Short in 1853 on land he once owned
References
Further reading
*
*
Augustus Short: Pioneer bishop
(Many articles on Trove)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Short, Augustus
1802 births
1883 deaths
19th-century Anglican bishops in Australia
19th-century English Anglican priests
Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford
Anglican bishops of Adelaide
People educated at Westminster School, London
Clergy from Exeter
Settlers of South Australia
Chancellors of the University of Adelaide
Vice-Chancellors of the University of Adelaide