Peter Hollingworth - Education and Career

Education and Career

Hollingworth was conscripted for National Service in 1953 and, after basic training at the RAAF base at Point Cook, he began working in the chaplain's office and discerned a vocation to ordained ministry. After matriculating in 1954 he enrolled at the University of Melbourne, residing at Trinity College as a member of its school of theology. He graduated in 1960 with a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Licentiate of Theology.

On 6 February 1960 he married Kathleen Ann Turner, an obstetric physiotherapist, who he had met while on National Service. The couple have three daughters.

Hollingworth was ordained as an Anglican priest in 1960. Hollingworth became Deacon-in-Charge and then Priest-in-Charge of St Mary's North Melbourne, in a group ministry of the Anglican Inner City Mission within the Melbourne Diocesan Centre. In 1964 he joined the Brotherhood of St Laurence, an independent Anglican welfare organisation, as chaplain and director of youth and children's work, then as director of social policy and research. He completed a master's degree in social work and in 1980 was appointed Executive Director of the Brotherhood of St Laurence. He served with the Brotherhood of St Laurence for 25 years and, in that time, was involved in many other associated community and welfare bodies.

He wrote several books about his work with the poor which became educational texts. As a public advocate on welfare policy he argued: "poverty should be looked at in terms of the structure of society rather than the individual case."

He was elected a canon of St Paul's Cathedral in 1980 and became the Bishop in the Inner City in 1985.

In 1989 he was elected the 8th Archbishop of Brisbane, where he continued his advocacy for the poor and underprivileged and supported the ordination of women.

He was Chairman of the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless National NGO Committee and was named Australian of the Year for 1991, being described as "Australia’s foremost spokesman for social justice." He used his public profile to criticise government policy in relation to Aboriginal welfare and youth unemployment.

In 1998, he attended as an appointed delegate to the 1998 Australian Constitutional Convention.