David Richardson (priest)

David Richardson was born in Townsville, Queensland, but spent most of his childhood in England in North Devon and then the Midlands where his father worked as a priest. He finished his schooling in Brisbane.

After studying English literature at the University of Queensland, Richardson studied theology at St Barnabas College in Adelaide. He was ordained deacon in 1970 and priest in 1971 in the diocese of Brisbane and served in parishes in Maryborough and Ipswich.{{Cite web |title=Clergy – Anglican Church of Australia Directory |url=https://www.anglicandirectoryaustralia.com.au/clergy/richardson-the-very-revd-david-john-leyburn-1617/ |access-date=2025-04-25 |language=en-US}}

Richardson returned to the United Kingdom in 1975 to undertake a postgraduate diploma in pastoral theology at the University of Birmingham. He served a curacy at the Church of St Mary the Great, Cambridge, the civic and university church of Cambridge, while also serving as chaplain at Girton College{{Cite web |title=Inauguration of the new Chaplain and celebration of the Chapel {{!}} Girton College |url=https://www.girton.cam.ac.uk/events/inauguration-new-chaplain-and-celebration-chapel |access-date=2025-04-22 |website=www.girton.cam.ac.uk |language=en}} at the university from 1976 to 1979. He then returned to St Barnabas’ College as sub-warden where he taught New Testament studies, liturgy and pastoral care and spirituality until 1982. He was then appointed rector of Christ Church in St Lucia, Brisbane.

In 1989, Richardson was invited to become the dean of St Peter's Cathedral, Adelaide, where he served for 11 years before becoming the dean of St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne, in 1999.{{Cite web |title=Trove |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/69332255 |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=trove.nla.gov.au}}{{Cite web |title=Australian Christian Church Histories - Melbourne, VIC - St Paul's Anglican Cathedral |url=https://www.churchhistories.net.au/church-catalog/melbourne-vic-st-pauls-anglican-cathedral |access-date=2025-04-22 |website=www.churchhistories.net.au |language=en}} As dean, he led a multimillion-dollar public appeal to restore the cathedral's spires and improve the interior of the building.{{Cite web |last=Victoria State Government |date=8 July 2006 |title=Extra $2 million for St Paul's restoration |url=http://www.stpaulscathedral.org.au/restor/state_govt_media_release8jul2006.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060819130507/http://www.stpaulscathedral.org.au/restor/state_govt_media_release8jul2006.pdf |archive-date=19 August 2006 |access-date=25 April 2025 |website=St Paul's Cathedral Melbourne |format=PDF}} His contribution is commemorated by the carved stone sculpture of his head by Melbourne artist Smiley Williams on the exterior of the cathedral's central 'Moorhouse' spire.{{Cite web |date=1 December 2006 |year=2006 |title=St Paul's Cathedral Restoration and Renewal Appeal Newsletter, no. 6, |url=http://www.stpaulscathedral.org.au/restor/Newsletter8-Dec2006.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080720001456/http://www.stpaulscathedral.org.au/restor/Newsletter8-Dec2006.pdf |archive-date=20 July 2008 |access-date=24 April 2025 |website=St Paul's Cathedral Melbourne}}

On his departure from St Paul's in 2008, the cathedral chapter awarded him the title of Dean Emeritus. This honour recognises his two decades of leadership of two metropolitan cathedrals, his achievement in restoring the building of St Paul's Cathedral and his ministry which built up the attendances and finances in Melbourne.{{Cite web |date=2008-07-19 |title=Dean's Diary |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080719070322/http://www.stpaulscathedral.org.au/dean.html |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=web.archive.org}}

Richardson was for 10 years the clerical representative for Australia on the Anglican Consultative Council (1992–2002).{{Cite web |last=Office |first=Anglican Communion |title=Participants |url=https://www.anglicancommunion.org/structures/instruments-of-communion/acc/acc-11/participants.aspx |access-date=2025-04-23 |website=Anglican Communion Website |language=en}} For 25 years he also served on the Australian National Liturgical Commission and was its executive secretary for 15 years.https://grovebooks.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/news-of-liturgy/LITURGY1996-06.pdf As a member of the commission, he was one of the authors of A Prayer Book for Australia (1995).{{Citation |last=Douglas |first=Brian |title=A Prayer Book for Australia (APBA) (1995) |date=2021-11-18 |work=The Anglican Eucharist in Australia |pages=227–244 |url=https://brill.com/display/book/9789004469273/BP000022.xml |access-date=2025-04-23 |publisher=Brill |language=en |doi=10.1163/9789004469273_015 |isbn=978-90-04-46927-3}} Richardson also served on Australian and international Anglican-Catholic ecumenical bodies including the Australian Consultation on Liturgy and the Malines Conversations Group.{{Cite web |date=2015-03-31 |title=Anglican-Catholic Malines Conversations Group meets at Boston College |url=https://episcopalnewsservice.org/pressreleases/anglican-catholic-malines-conversations-group-meets-at-boston-college/ |access-date=2025-04-25 |website=Episcopal News Service |language=en-US}}

In December 2007, Richardson was appointed as the representative of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, to the Holy See and the director of the Anglican Centre in Rome.{{Cite web |last=Zwartz |first=Barney |date=2007-12-12 |title=Melbourne Dean gets key Vatican post |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/melbourne-dean-gets-key-vatican-post-20071212-ge6hyu.html |access-date=2025-04-23 |website=The Age |language=en}} He was installed in this position by Archbishop Williams on 7 May 2008 at a ceremony in the Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva.[http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/news.cfm/2008/5/6/ACNS4400 Anglican Communion News Service: Archbishop of Canterbury - 'friendly meeting' with Pope Benedict]

During his tenure he played key roles in the 2008 Lambeth Conference, the first state visit of a pope to the UK in 2010 (Pope Benedict XVI){{Cite web |last=Sison |first=Marites N. |date=2012-10-05 |title=Promoting Christian unity in a divided world |url=https://anglicanjournal.com/promoting-christian-unity-in-a-divided-world-11216/ |access-date=2025-04-22 |website=Anglican Journal |language=en-US}} and visits of the Archbishop of Canterbury to the Vatican in 2009 and 2012.{{Cite web |date=2012-06-13 |title=Anglican Centre in Rome Director David Richardson to retire |url=https://episcopalnewsservice.org/pressreleases/anglican-centre-in-rome-director-david-richardson-to-retire/ |access-date=2025-04-23 |website=Episcopal News Service |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2012-03-12 |title=Roman vespers unite pope, archbishop of Canterbury in prayer |url=https://episcopalnewsservice.org/2012/03/12/roman-vespers-unite-pope-archbishop-of-canterbury-in-prayer/ |access-date=2025-04-25 |website=Episcopal News Service |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Gordon |first=Tracy |date=2009-11-12 |title=Anglican and Catholic heads to meet in Rome |url=https://religionnews.com/2009/11/12/anglican-and-catholic-heads-to-meet-in-rome/ |access-date=2025-04-25 |website=RNS |language=en-US}} He hosted the first visit of a head of state to the centre (Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd) in 2009.{{Cite web |title=Visit of Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd at the Anglican Centre of Rome |url=https://www.anglicannews.org/news/2009/07/visit-of-australian-prime-minister-kevin-rudd-at-the-anglican-centre-of-rome.aspx |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=www.anglicannews.org |language=en-gb}} Richardson was also an official Anglican delegate to the inauguration of Pope Francis in March 2013.{{Cite web |title=Communion delegation for inauguration of Pope Francis |url=https://www.anglicannews.org/news/2013/03/communion-delegation-for-inauguration-of-pope-francis.aspx |access-date=2025-04-24 |website=www.anglicannews.org |language=en-gb}} He retired in April 2013 and was succeeded by Archbishop David Moxon.[http://anglicancentre.churchinsight.com/Articles/360925/Anglican_Centre_in/Our_story/Director_and_Staff/Former_Director/DJ_Richardson_OBE.aspx] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131025050744/http://anglicancentre.churchinsight.com/Articles/360925/Anglican_Centre_in/Our_story/Director_and_Staff/Former_Director/DJ_Richardson_OBE.aspx|date=25 October 2013}} Anglicancentre.churchinsight.com. 2013. Anglican Centre in Rome : DJ Richardson OBE. [online] Available at: http://anglicancentre.churchinsight.com/Articles/360925/Anglican_Centre_in/Our_story/Director_and_Staff/Former_Director/DJ_Richardson_OBE.aspx [Accessed: 16 Jun 2013].

Richardson was installed as an honorary provincial canon of Canterbury Cathedral in June 2010.{{Cite web |url=http://www.anglicancentreinrome.org/Publisher/File.aspx?ID=50604 |title=Centro newsletter, April 2010 |access-date=26 January 2016 |archive-date=18 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170118095920/http://www.anglicancentreinrome.org/Publisher/File.aspx?ID=50604 |url-status=dead }}

He was appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2013 Queen's Birthday Honours (UK) for services to strengthening relations between the UK, the Anglican Communion and the Holy See.{{London Gazette|issue=60534|supp=y|page=25|date=15 June 2013}}[https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/jun/15/queens-birthday-honours-diplomatic] The Guardian. 2013. Queen's birthday honours list 2013: Diplomatic. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/jun/15/queens-birthday-honours-diplomatic [Accessed: 16 June 2013].

He was appointed an officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the 2016 Australia Day Honours for distinguished service to religion and to the Anglican Church of Australia, through international representational, ecumenical development and interfaith co-operation roles.{{Cite web |url=http://www.gg.gov.au/australia-day-2016-honours-lists |title=Australia Day 2016 Honours Lists |access-date=26 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128031413/http://gg.gov.au/australia-day-2016-honours-lists |archive-date=28 January 2016 |url-status=dead }}

Richardson is also a chaplain of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (Order of St John) (ChStJ).

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.anglicancentreinrome.org Anglican Centre in Rome website]
• [https://cathedral.org.au/ St Paul's Cathedral Melbourne website]
• [https://www.stpeters-cathedral.org.au/ St Paul's Cathedral Adelaide website]

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{{S-bef|before=James Grant}}

{{S-ttl|title=Dean of Melbourne|years=1999–2008}}

{{S-aft|after=Mark Burton}}

{{s-bef|before=John Flack}}

{{s-ttl|title=Director of the Anglican Centre in Rome and
Representative of the Archbishop of Canterbury to the Holy See|years=2008–2013}}

{{s-aft|after=David Moxon}}

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Category:1946 births

Category:People from Townsville

Category:Living people

Category:20th-century Australian Anglican priests

Category:21st-century Australian Anglican priests

Category:Chaplains of Girton College, Cambridge

Category:Chaplains of the Order of St John

Category:Alumni of the University of Birmingham

Category:University of Queensland alumni

Category:Officers of the Order of Australia

Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire

Category:Deans of Melbourne

Category:Deans of Adelaide