The Diocese of Sydney, Australia and New Zealand (, also Australian and New Zealand Diocese) is the diocese of the

Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (), also called Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia or ROCOR, or Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (ROCA), is a semi-autonomous part of the Russian Orthodox Church, Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Pat ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

and

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

headquartered in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

History

The first Russian Orthodox parish in Australia was St Nicholas Church (now

St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral St Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral is a Russian Orthodox cathedral church at 330–334B Vulture Street, Kangaroo Point, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The cathedral was designed by Gregory Mechonoshin and Cavanagh and Cavanagh and buil ...

) founded in 1926 in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

. The Australian diocese of the ROCOR was founded in 1946 with episcopal see at St Nicholas Church in Brisbane. In 1950 the episcopal see was moved to Sydney to the Ss Peter and Paul Cathedral. In 1994 the Korean Orthodox mission was subordinated to Australian and New Zealand diocese by decree of the Synod of Bishops. In February 2005, the diocese included parishes of Indonesia that are of Old Calendar or independent Churches. In 2012 a Pakistan mission was established. In 2015, Archbishop George (then vicar-bishop) joined other religious leaders in writing a letter to the then Australian Prime Minister

Tony Abbott Anthony John Abbott (; born 4 November 1957) is an Australian former politician who served as the 28th prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia and was the member of parli ...

opposing the bills allowing same-sex marriage. In 2023, a session of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia heard the Synod's President's petition to elevate Bishop George of Sydney, Australia and New Zealand to the rank of

Archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...

. On July 12, 2024, Metropolitan Nicholas elevated his rank officially, at Sts Peter and Paul Diocesan Cathedral in Sydney.

List of hierarchs

Diocesan bishops

* Theodore (Rafalsky) (December 12, 1946 - May 5, 1955) * Sabbas (Raevsky) (1955 - September 5, 1969) * Athanasius (Martos) (5 September 1969 - 23 July 1970) * Sabbas (Raevsky) (July 23 - November 25, 1970) locum tenens * Theodosius (Putilin) (November 25, 1970 - August 13, 1980) * Paul (Pavlov) (August 1980 – 1992) * Daniel (Alexandrov) (March 18, 1992 - 1994) locum tenens * Alypius (Gamanovich) (April 7 - May 1994) * Barnabas (Prokofiev) (11 January - September 1995) *

Hilarion (Kapral) Metropolitan Hilarion (born Igor Alexeyevich Kapral, ; 6 January 1948 – 16 May 2022) was a bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (ROCOR), Metropolitan of Eastern America and New York, First-Hierarch of the ROCOR since 18 May ...

(June 20, 1996 - 16 May 2022) * George (Schaefer) (since 17 May 2022)

Vicar bishops

Bishops of Brisbane

* Athanasius (Martos) (5 September 1950 - 17 October 1953) *

Philaret (Voznesensky) Metropolitan Philaret (, secular name Georgy Nikolayevich Voznesensky, ; 22 March 1903 in Kursk, Russia – 21 November 1985 in New York City) was the First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia from 1964 until his death on No ...

(May 26, 1963 - May 27, 1964) * Constantine (Essensky) (December 10, 1967 - September 1974) *

Gabriel (Chemodakov) Archbishop Gabriel (, secular name George Lvovich Chemodakov, ; June 2, 1961, Sydney, Australia) is bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, archbishop of Montreal and Canada. Biography In his childhood George was greatly influenced ...

(July 7 - October 6, 1996)

Bishops of Melbourne

* Athanasius (Martos) (December 22, 1949 - September 5, 1950; October 1953) * Sabbas (Raevsky) (18 January 1954 - May 1955) * Anthony (Medvedev) (November 16, 1956 - 1968) * Theodosius (Putilin) (29 November 1969 - 25 November 1970)

Bishops of Canberra

* George (Schaefer) (October 7, 2014 - September 21, 2022)

Parishes and Monasteries

Australia

New South Wales

Saints Peter and Paul Diocesan Cathedral

Strathfield Strathfield is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 12 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the Municipality of Strathfield. A sma ...

Archangel Michael Church

Blacktown Blacktown is a suburb in New South Wales, Australia, west of the Sydney central business district. It is one of the most multicultural places within Sydney, Greater Sydney. History Before the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, the area of ...

Church of All Russian Saints

Croydon Croydon is a large town in South London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a Districts of England, local government district of Greater London; it is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater Lond ...

* Holy Dormition Church,

Wollongong Wollongong ( ; Dharawal: ''Woolyungah'') is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near water' or 'sound ...

* Holy Transfiguration Monastery,

Bombala Bombala is a town in the Monaro, New South Wales, Monaro region of far southern New South Wales, Australia, in Snowy Monaro Regional Council. It is approximately south-southwest of the state capital, Sydney, and south of the town of Cooma, Ne ...

* Our Lady of Kazan Convent, Kentlyn * St John the Baptist Skete,

Kentlyn, New South Wales Kentlyn is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia 58 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Campbelltown. It is part of the Macarthur region. History K ...

* Orthodox Monastery of the Archangel Michael,

Marrickville Marrickville is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Marrickville is located south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the largest suburb in the Inner West Council local government ...

* Presentation of the Mother of God Convent, Bungarby * Protection of the Holy Virgin "Pokrov" Church,

Cabramatta Cabramatta, also abbreviated as Cabra, is a suburb in South Western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Cabramatta is located south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the Local government in Australia, local gove ...

* St George Church, Carlton * St Nicholas Church, Fairfield * St Nicholas Church,

Wallsend Wallsend () is a town in North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England, at the eastern end of Hadrian's Wall. It has a population of 43,842 and lies east of Newcastle upon Tyne. History Roman Wallsend In Roman times, this was the site of the fort of ...

* St Panteleimon Church,

West Gosford West Gosford is a suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the local government area A local government area (LGA) is an administrative division of a country that a local government is responsible for ...

* St Vladimir Church, Centennial Park

Victoria

* Protection of the Holy Virgin "Pokrov" Cathedral,

Brunswick East Brunswick East is an inner-city List of Melbourne suburbs, suburb in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, north of Melbourne's Melbourne city centre, Central Business District, located within the City of Merri-bek Local Govern ...

* Church the Icon of Our Lady "Joy of All Who Sorrow", " Bell Park * Church of Our Lady's Dormition,

Dandenong Dandenong ( ) is a southeastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, about from the Melbourne CBD. It is the council seat of the City of Greater Dandenong local government area, with a recorded population of 30,127 at the . Situated m ...

* Holy Ascension Orthodox Mission, Williamstown * Holy Fathers Community,

Allansford Allansford is a town in the Western District, Victoria, Western District of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. It is in the City of Warrnambool Local government in Australia, local government area. The Hopkins River flows through the t ...

* St John of Kronstadt Chapel (construction not yet completed),

Queensland

* St Nicholas Cathedral,

* Orthodox Church of the Holy Annunciation,

Woolloongabba Woolloongabba ( ) is an inner southern Suburbs and localities (Australia), suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Woolloongabba had a population of 8,687 people. Geography Woolloongabba is located by road south of the ...

* Our Lady of Vladimir Church,

Rocklea Rocklea is a southern suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Rocklea had a population of 1,672 people. Low-lying parts of the suburb are flood prone. Geography Rocklea is located 9 kilometres south of the city. The ...

* St Xenia Church, Tweed Heads (New South Wales) * St Seraphim Church,

Tasmania

* Exaltation of the Holy Cross Church,

Hobart Hobart ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly hal ...

* Holy Trinity Church,

= South Australia

= * Monastery of the Prophet Elias, Monarto South * St Nicholas Church,

Wayville Wayville is an inner-southern suburb of Adelaide in the City of Unley. It is most notable for hosting of the Royal Adelaide Show at the Adelaide Showgrounds. The suburb is bordered to the north by Adelaide's South Parklands, to the west by Ade ...

Australian Capital Territory

* St John the Forerunner Church,

Canberra Canberra ( ; ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the Federation of Australia, federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's list of cities in Australia, largest in ...

Western Australia

* Sts Peter and Paul Church,

Bayswater Bayswater is an area in the City of Westminster in West London. It is a built-up district with a population density of 17,500 per square kilometre, and is located between Kensington Gardens to the south, Paddington to the north-east, and ...

New Zealand

* Christ the Saviour Church,

Wellington Wellington is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

* Resurrection of Christ Church,

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

* St Nicholas Church,

Christchurch Christchurch (; ) is the largest city in the South Island and the List of cities in New Zealand, second-largest city by urban area population in New Zealand. Christchurch has an urban population of , and a metropolitan population of over hal ...

Educational institutions

St John of Kronstadt Academy, Brisbane

St John of Kronstadt Academy is a classical Pan-Orthodox school in Brisbane,

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

, currently headed by Father Stephen David, a priest at Holy Annunciation Orthodox Church in Brisbane. As of 2025, it can accommodate up to 60 students from years Prep to 4. Archbishop George blessed the opening of the school in 2024, the Academy's opening academic year.

Sts Cyril and Methodius Orthodox Institute, Dandenong

Abbreviated as SCMOI, Sts Cyril and Methodius Orthodox Institute is the sole tertiary educational institute of the ROCOR Diocese of Australia and New Zealand. It serves to educate lay Christians, and potientally equip future Orthodox clergy for their life. Archbishop George is the Institute's chairman, successor of Founding Chairman, Metropolitan Hilarion. Father Peter Hill, a priest who serves at the Church of Our Lady's Dormition, is the Principal of the Institute.

References

External links

Official website

Official website of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia

"The Russian Orthodox Presence in Australia", PhD thesis by Fr Michael Protopopov
{{Dioceses of ROCOR Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia Russian-Australian culture Russian-New Zealand culture Eastern Orthodoxy in Indonesia Eastern Orthodox dioceses in Oceania