Bishop Ric Thorpe Elected Archbishop of Melbourne

5 June 2025

Photo credit: DIOCESE OF LONDON

The Bishop of Islington, Ric Thorpe (Walpole 83), has been announced to be the next Archbishop of Melbourne in the Anglican Church of Australia, following the Election Synod of the Diocese of Melbourne. He will be installed later this year and will become the first Old Stoic Archbishop.

The Bishop of London, Dame Sarah Mullally, welcomed the announcement soon after it was made, commenting:

“Congratulations to Ric on his election as Archbishop of Melbourne. For decades, he has been a driving force behind church growth in London. Since his time leading the transformation of St Paul’s Shadwell, parishes across the Diocese have benefited from his strategic drive and energy – as has the wider Church of England in his national role as Bishop of Islington in recent years. We have so much to thank Ric for. He will be missed here, and he and Louie will leave for Melbourne with our prayers and deepest gratitude.”

Bishop Ric trained at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford and was ordained as a priest in 1997. He served his title at Holy Trinity, Brompton (HTB) until 2005 when he became Priest-in-Charge, then Rector, of St Paul’s, Shadwell. He was Priest-in-Charge of All Hallows’, Bromley by Bow, until his consecration in 2015.

Bishop Ric commented, “London has been our home for over 30 years, and we owe its people, its churches and its communities so very much. While I’m incredibly excited for the challenge that lies ahead in Melbourne, Louie and I will leave with the deepest gratitude to the friends, family and colleagues who have shaped our lives here. After we depart later in the year, we’ll of course stay in close touch with London, and look forward to seeing the Diocese continue to thrive in the years to come.”