Frank Woods

Who was Frank Woods?

Sir Frank Woods KBE was an English-born Anglican bishop who became Archbishop of Melbourne and Primate of Australia.

Woods was the son of one bishop and nephew of another. He was educated at Marlborough and Trinity College, Cambridge.

Woods was ordained to the priesthood in 1932. A curacy in Portsmouth was followed by a period as chaplain of his alma mater, Trinity College, Cambridge. He then became vice principal of Wells Theological College. During the Second World War he served as a chaplain in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and then, successively: Vicar of Huddersfield; Suffragan Bishop of Middleton and, in 1958, the Archbishop of Melbourne for over 20 years. In 1971 he was appointed Primate of Australia and, on 3 June 1972, he was made a Knight of the Order of the British Empire. As is the established custom in Australia for knighted clergy, Woods was entitled to use "Sir" as his title and was commonly known as "Sir Frank".