Geoffrey Sambell

Geoffrey Tremayne Sambell CMG, Mention in Dispatches (28 October 1914 – 19 December 1980^[1]) was an Australian Anglican bishop and World War 2 army chaplain.

Sambell was born on 28 October 1914 at Broadford, Victoria.^[2] He was educated at Melbourne High School and studied at The University of Melbourne. He was made a deacon in 1940 and ordained to the priesthood in early 1941.^[3][4] He began his ordained ministry in Malvern, Victoria, before enlisting in 1942 as an army chaplain,^[2] serving during World War 2 with the Second Australian Imperial Force in the jungles of the north western ranges of New Guinea (Service Number VX104114).^[5] He ministered first to soldiers of the 57th/60th Battalion which was raised in Victoria^[6] and then to the 2/11th Battalion raised from Western Australia.^[7] He was an extremely popular padre among the soldiers he served, and with whom he served.^[8] Sambell's studies at The University of Melbourne were interrupted by the war, and he graduated Bachelor of Arts after recommencing his studies (as so many did) after the war.^[9]

Following the war he became director of the Melbourne Diocesan Centre,^[10] Director of the Brotherhood of St Laurence.^[11] He was Archdeacon of Essendon, and then of Melbourne.^[12] He was Bishop Coadjutor of Diocese from 1962 to 1969 when he was elected Archbishop of Perth^[13] and Metropolitan of Western Australia,^[14] posts he held to his death.