History

Similarly to most other jurisdictions in Australia and other areas outside the old world countries, a detailed early history of the Archdiocese is better told in terms of cities, which later formed into the diocese, then archdiocese, rather than the other way around.

The first wave of immigration of Syrians, (a term which then included the people of Lebanon) was in the 1880-1890s. They found work hawking and peddling goods in the country areas of the eastern states of Australia. The first place of worship was in the capital cities of Sydney and Melbourne, with a Greek speaking priest who also spoke Arabic and sometimes Russian too.

Sydney

The Antiochian Orthodox faithful took part in the construction of a community church dedicated to the Holy Trinity in Surry Hills with the Greek and Russian Orthodox faithful. A priest was later provided by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem.  Due to various difficulties regarding the 1898 deposition of the Greek speaking Patriarch of Antioch and the 1899 election of an Arabic speaking Patriarch of Antioch, the Syrian community then took to meeting in individual homes, only going to the church in Surry Hills for necessities.

In 1913, Father Nicholas Shehadie was sent to Australia as Exarch to determine the extent of the problem and to find possible solutions.  While this was intended to be temporary, World War I intervened preventing Father Nicholas from returning to Lebanon where his family resided. Hence, his stay became permanent.  He realised the need for a church for the Antiochian Orthodox, and determined to build it. Divine Liturgy was held in parishioners' homes until that time.

The State Government leased a block of land to the Church on the corner of Walker and Redfern Streets Redfern. The first Antiochian Orthodox church was built there and placed under the patronage of Saint George.

In 1934, Exarch Nicholas Shehadie, suffering from chronic asthma, reposed in his early 70s. Then his second son, Michael Shehadie, became a priest. During the time of his presbyterate at the Church of Saint George, the government lease expired. Father Michael worked with the government to find a new site and, in 1950, they were granted land at the corner of Walker and Cooper Sts, Redfern, where the church - now cathedral - stands today.  However, Father Michael never saw it built. In 1951, aged 56, he reposed. 

In 1953, V Rev Malatius Hussney was appointed Patriarchal Exarch and rector of Saint George. During his time as rector, the foundation stone for the new church was laid, with the first services in 1954. He was succeeded by Archimandrite Anthony Woolf, who was Patriarchal Exarch and rector 1957-61.

Following the death in Cairo of Archimandrite Anthony, Rev Father Anthony Chidiac was appointed to serve the parish of Saint George in Redfern. He died in a motor vehicle accident on 19 October 1962.

In January 1963 a visiting priest from Kousba, Lebanon, V Rev Exarchos Emilianos Shehadie served the parish until 17 July 1963.

On 22 September 1963 by kind permission of Greek Archbishop Ezekiel, Reverend Father John Catsaras, formerly of Sfax in Tunisia temporarily served the parish.

The willing assistance of the Greek Orthodox hierarchs since their arrival in Australia in 1924 was notable, and especially so with Archbishop Ezekiel.

On 18 June 1964, Father Nicolas Mansour arrived in Sydney from Beirut Lebanon, and commenced duties as parish priest with divine liturgy on Sunday 21 June 1964. Soon after his arrival, the church was consecrated by Gereek Orthodox Bishop Dionysios. In 1967 the church hall and presbytery were completed. However, the spread of Antiochian faithful all over New South Wales was too much for one parish priest.

At the request of Father Nicolas, the Patriarch of Antioch sent Archimandrite Gibran from the US to Australia to find out how to solve the problem. On Archimamdrite Gibran's recommendations, the Holy Synod elevated the Exarchate of Australia and New Zealand to a diocese. In 1969 Archimandrite Gibran was consecrated bishop and appointed Patriarchal Vicar of the new diocese.

Melbourne

By the early twentieth century, a significant number of Syrians including Lebanese had settled in Melbourne.  These families kept in contact with each other, working as hawkers, shopkeepers, or wholesalers, during the week, and using the weekend for social activities including meeting in the Exhibition Gardens on Sundays. The first Orthodox church in Melbourne, Holy Annunciation, was established in East Melbourne as a result of the joint effort by Greek-speaking, Arabic-speaking, and Russian-speaking Orthodox. The services were in both Greek and Arabic. The altar servers were of Greek and Lebanese/Syrian descent. Some of the icons were donated by Lebanese/Syrians, and the first warden was Lebanese.

By the 1920s however, Holy Annunciation became a predominately Greek-speaking church with a priest who could not speak Arabic.  Lebanese/Syrians were only attending special services at Holy Annunciation such as weddings, baptisms and funerals.  While some chose to send their children to Anglican or Protestant Sunday schools, neither the now-Greek Orthodox parish nor various protestant groups could meet the needs of the Antiochian Orthodox. It was obviously necessary to found an Antiochian Orthodox parish.

In 1929, James Batrouney visited Lebanon/Syria, met Archimandrite Antonious Mobayed, and on his return to Melbourne, Archimandrite Antonious was recommended as a suitable priest (being well-educated and speaking Arabic, Russian and Greek) for the church in Melbourne. Patriarch Arsanios of Antioch commissioned Archimandrite Antonious as the first priest of the Syrian Antiochian Orthodox Church in Victoria. He arrived on 12 November 1931, bringing and donating everything essential for the celebration of the Divine Liturgy. Some of these items can still be found at Saint Nicholas Church East Melbourne today.

The first services were held in Saint George Anglican Mission, the beginning of a long and amicable relationship between Anglicans and Orthodox in Victoria.  In March 1932 the community purchased a church, where Saint Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church stands today, using four £125 donations from John Batrouney, Joseph and Walter Davis, and Alex Malouly.  The iconostasis, based on the iconostasis of the Holy Resurrection Cathedral, Tokyo, Japan was completed by Palm Sunday, 1932, when the first service was held in the Church.

At the first council meeting of May 1932, it was decided to name the church after Saint Nicholas of Myra.  The church was consecrated on 1 October 1933 by Metropolitan Timotheos Evangelinidis of Rhodes, the head of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Australia and New Zealand at the time. The consecration, attended by Reverend FE Maynard (Anglican) and the Greek and French consuls, was chanted in Arabic, English, Greek, and Slavonic.

Saint Nicholas included both Arabic members and Russian members, the latter group also contributing to bringing Archimandrite Antonious to Australia, converting the church into an Orthodox church, writing icons, and organising a choir which would chant the Liturgy in Slavonic on every fourth Sunday. When the Russians established their first church in Melbourne in the early 1950s, the committee of Saint Nicholas donated a Slavonic Bible in memory of Archimandrite Antonious, and as a symbol of the enduring friendship between the Syrian/Lebanese and the Russians.

With Arabic and Slavonic choirs, a youth society, Syrian/Lebanese youth that knew the service in Arabic, and a priest willing to travel to Sydney, Adelaide, and New Zealand, to raise funds for the fledgling church, Saint Nicholas was built into a strong, pan-Orthodox church. However, after a short illness, Archimandrite Antonious reposed on November 9, 1943. He was buried by Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Timotheos, assisted by Archimandrite Theophylactos Papathanasopoulos and Father Michael Shehadie of Saint George Redfern Sydney.

The Second World War precluded any replacement priest from either America or Antioch until after World War 2. In 1948, Exarchos George Haydar arrived. He was ideally suited to minister to migrants from Lebanon. A rectory was built in 1953. Exarchos George reposed in 1962, and his funeral was conducted by Patriarchal Exarch Archimandrite Anthony Woolf of Sydney, assisted by clergy from many jurisdictions.

In 1963, Father Gabraeel Fadel arrived to serve at Saint Nicholas, and the parish entered a period of consolidation. Father Gabraeel left in 1967, to be replaced by Father Malatius (Essam) Hussney, the son of Exarch Father Malatius Hussney. Father Malatius, who was ordained in 1968, worked for the second wave of Lebanese immigrants to be actively involved in the running of Saint Nicholas.

New Zealand

Diocese

In 1969, Bishop Gibran (Ramlawey), having been consecrated by Metropolitan Philip (Saliba) of New York, arrived in Sydney, Australia.  In 1973, Bishop Gibran decided that a new church should be built in the western suburbs of Sydney. Fr John Shehadie, son of Exarch Nicholas Shehadie, was appointed parish priest of the new church of Saint Nicholas, Punchbowl, and served there until his retirement in 1987.

In Melbourne, the desire of Fr Malatius Hussney to actively involve new arrivals to Australia in the running of the parish, led the older members of Saint Nicholas feeling unwanted resulting in a split. As a result, Saint George was founded in Thornbury, Melbourne, in 1972.

Father Malatius worked very hard for Saint Nicholas, including going to Lebanon and Cyprus to help refugees of the Civil War to obtain visas to come to Australia.  Father Malatius left to serve parishes in the United States. Father Emile Assaf was assigned to Saint Nicholas as his replacement and served from 1977 to 1990. Father Emile continued to serve newly arrived migrants, and also renovated and redecorated Saint Nicholas - rendering external walls, erecting a fence, replacing the floor, purchasing new pews, painting the walls with icons and, towards the end of his tenure, renovating the rectory.

In 1982, Father Elias Khoury was ordained to the priesthood, and assigned to Saint Nicholas, Punchbowl. In 1985, he was elevated to Archpriest.

In 1985, a new parish was established in Mays Hill, and named St Mary's, for the Nativity of the Theotokos (Mother of God). The first priest was Father John Shehadie, and the community worshipped in Granville.

In 1986, Saint George Antiochian Orthodox Church,  Melbourne, decided to purchase its own church, and did so from the Anglican Church. Renovation started immediately.

In 1987, the Saint Mary Parish moved to Merrylands, led by Father Stephen Godley, and in the same year, the Antiochian Orthodox Church of Saint George, Redfern, Sydney, was elevated to Cathedral.

In 1988, the church building purchased by Saint George Thornbury had its renovation completed. After this, the renovation of the hall began.

In 1989, Bishop Gibran appointed the first committee of a new parish in Brisbane, which was registered in 1990.

In 1991, the hall of St George's church, Thornbury, was completed, and is now one of the most attractive Arabic special event venues in Melbourne.

In January 1991, the site for St Mary's, Mays Hill, was purchased, with Father Emile Assaf being transferred from Saint Nicholas, Melbourne, to pastor the new parish with Father Aziz Abwi.

In 1993, Father John Abdel-Karim became the first parish priest of the Church of Saint Paul, Woolloongabba, Brisbane.

In 1994, the first services were held in the church hall of St Mary's, Mays Hill. Father Elias Khoury began working with the Department of Community Services and administered a new program, Ortho-Care, designed to help those requiring financial and spiritual assistance. Saint George, Thornbury, purchased the property (with rectory) adjacent to the church.

Bishop Gibran reposed on 16 January 1999.  Father Elias Khoury was named as the temporary administrator of the diocese. The first services were held in the new church of Saint Mary, Mays Hill, on Good Friday 1999.

Archdiocese

In November 1999, the Holy Synod of Antioch decided to elevate the diocese of Australia and New Zealand to archdiocese with its own ruling metropolitan archbishop. Archimandrite Paul parish priest of Washington DC was appointed Metropolitan Archbishop of the Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia, New Zealand, and All Oceania.

In December 1999, Metropolitan Archbishop Paul visited Newcastle, and then Brisbane. He prompted the decision to build the church of Saint Paul in Woolloongabba, Brisbane.

In January 2000, Father John Vesic was appointed parish priest of Saint Mary Church, Mays Hill. Father John does not speak Arabic.

In June 2000, Father Nicholas Gan of Newcastle was released to join the Moscow Patriarchate. The Holy Synod of Moscow accepted him on 19 July 2000, along with the Parish of the Theophany at Mayfield West, Newcastle, which had been under the care of Bishop Gibran on behalf of Moscow since its inception in 1996.

In December 2001, Father John Vesic was appointed parish priest of Ss Michael and Gabriel parish, the first fully English-speaking Antiochian Orthodox parish in New South Wales. The new parish worshipped in rented premises in Homebush until 2005.

In 2002, the first services were held in the new church of Saint Paul, Woolloongabba, Brisbane.

In 2004, at the instigation of Metropolitan Archbishop Paul, the parish of Saint Nicholas Bankstown, bought the land that the church is built on from the NSW government. The property is held in trust for the parish by the Antiochian Orthodox Church Property Trust.

In August 2005, Archpriest Father Nicolas Mansour retired from full-time pastoral work, ending 42 years of service at the Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral of St George. Archimandrite Nabil Kachab, laterly of Saint Nicholas, Punchbowl, and formerly of Melbourne, replaced him as Dean of the Cathedral and parish priest of Redfern.