Kenneth Herbert Short (6 July 1927 – 19 October 2014) was an Anglican bishop in Australia. He was the
Bishop of Wollongong
The assistant bishops of Sydney are the assistant bishops in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, Australia. They each assist the Archbishop of Sydney by maintaining delegated episcopal oversight over a particular geographical area.
Prior to the fo ...
and then
Bishop of Parramatta and
Bishop to the Australian Defence Force. He was appointed dean of
St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney in 1989. He was a missionary, pastor and military chaplain.
Early life
Kenneth Herbert Short was born to Cecil Short and Joyce Ellen (daughter of Herbert Begbie, sometime Archdeacon of West Sydney) on 6 July 1927 in
Nairobi
Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper ha ...
, Kenya. His family returned to Australia and settled in Tasmania, where Cecil was rector of St George’s Battery Point from 1931. In January 1934, Cecil was appointed rector of St Andrew's Church,
Wahroonga
Wahroonga is a suburb in the North Shore (Sydney)#Upper North Shore, Upper North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, 18 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the Local government in Australia ...
, and the family moved to Sydney.
Short went to school at
Trinity Grammar School, Summer Hill and
Barker College
, motto_translation = Seek Honour above Rewards
, location = Hornsby, Sydney
, country = Australia
, coordinates =
, pushpin_map = Australia Sydney
, pushpin_image ...
. At 19, he joined the
Australian Army
The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (Austral ...
with an officer's commission and served with the
British Commonwealth Occupation Force
The British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) was the British Commonwealth taskforce consisting of Australian, British, Indian and New Zealand military forces in occupied Japan, from 1946 until the end of occupation in 1952.
At its peak, t ...
in Japan from 1946 to 1948. He was made lieutenant in 1946. He studied for the Anglican ministry at
Moore Theological College
Moore Theological College, otherwise known simply as Moore College, is the theological training seminary of the Diocese of Sydney in the Anglican Church of Australia. The president of the Moore Theological College Council is ''ex officio'' t ...
, Sydney. He married Gloria Noelle Funnell (daughter of Ernest Henry Funnell and Violet Isobel Baldock) on 28 January 1950.
Ministry
Short was ordained in 1952,
["Meet the assistant bishops"](_blank)
in ''Southern Cross'', September 1981. pp. 28–29 and served the Parish of Pittwater before going with the
Church Missionary Society
The Church Mission Society (CMS), formerly known as the Church Missionary Society, is a British mission society working with the Christians around the world. Founded in 1799, CMS has attracted over nine thousand men and women to serve as mission ...
to
Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...
. He and his family remained there until 1964, founding the Msalato Bible School in Dodoma, where he was principal from 1961.
Returning to Australia, Short was appointed general secretary to the Church Missionary Society in New South Wales. He stepped down in 1971 and served as rector of St Michael's Vaucluse for four years.
Short was consecrated a bishop on 1 April 1975,
and served as area Bishop of Wollongong from 1975 to 1982, the Archdeacon of Wollongong from 1975 to 1979, and of Camden from 1975 to 1976. He was also an examining chaplain to the Archbishop of Sydney from 1971 to 1982. He was then
Bishop of Parramatta from 1982 to 1989 and concurrently Bishop to the
Australian Defence Force
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of the Commonwealth of Australia and its national interests. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Forc ...
from 1979 to 1989. During that time, he was Army Chaplain General (1979–1981) holding the rank of major general. In 1989, Short was made Dean of
St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney.
In 1988, the year of Australia's bicentenary, Short was appointed an
Officer of the Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...
for services to "Religion, particularly as Anglican Bishop of the Australian Defence Force." In 1989 he was made a chaplain of the Order of St John.
Retirement
After retiring in 1992, Short filled various roles, at
St. John's Shaughnessy in Vancouver, as Bishop of Wollongong, and in parish ministry in Hobart, Geraldton,
Berry
A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, raspb ...
and
Kangaroo Valley
Kangaroo Valley is a river valley along the Kangaroo River in the Shoalhaven region of New South Wales, Australia, located west of the seaside in the City of Shoalhaven. It is also the name of the small suburb within it, formerly known as Osbo ...
. He also was acting state secretary of the Church Missionary Society in Victoria and then New South Wales. He also pursued his interests in carpentry, fishing, photography and bird watching.
Death
Short died on 19 October 2014 in Wollongong. He was survived by his wife Gloria, three children (Kathy, David and Marion), eight grandchildren and one great-grandson.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Short, Kenneth Herbert
1927 births
2014 deaths
People educated at Trinity Grammar School (New South Wales)
Moore Theological College alumni
Anglican archdeacons in Australia
Anglican bishops to the Australian Defence Force
20th-century Anglican bishops in Australia
Assistant bishops in the Anglican Diocese of Sydney
Deans of Sydney
Officers of the Order of Australia
Australian Army officers