Name Philip Strong | ||
Sir Philip Nigel Warrington Strong KBE CMG CStJ (1899–6 July 1983) served as the fifth Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane from 1962 to 1970, also serving as primate of the Church of England in Australia (now called the Anglican Church of Australia) from 1966.
Strong was born in England and educated at the King's School, Worcester (where he was apparently nicknamed "The Bishop") and at Selwyn College, Cambridge. During World War I he served in France with the Royal Engineers. Ordained in 1923, he initially served as a vicar in impoverished industrial parishes in Leeds and Saint Ignatious Hendon, Sunderland.
Following his move to Australasia, Strong served as Bishop of New Guinea between 1936 and 1962, remaining in that post throughout World War II and gaining much respect for his steadfastness during the Japanese invasion of that area.
Archbishop
During his time as Archbishop of Brisbane, although a religious conservative, Strong was an advocate of co-operation between different Christian denominations. Following the disappearance and presumed death of the Australian prime minister, Harold Holt, in 1967, Strong delivered the eulogy at his memorial service at St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne.