Our Anglican identity
In this column, Bishop Peter outlines an area of debate emerging in the Anglican Communion. Those who follow church news closely will know that, in…
Bishop Peter: Choosing how we…
I am going to begin my Holy Week and Easter message in a very stark way. I am going to name a truth. Each one…
Encounter | Choosing how we…
MARCH 2026 Our latest Encounter magazine – Choosing How We Live – is out now. In his column, Bishop Peter explains that we have a…
Stitching together a legacy
Brenda Dryden’s 204 needlepoint kneelers sit proudly in Christ Church Cathedral. It started with stitching a few crosses and grew into a tribute to Newcastle’s community. Brenda Dryden’s legacy has…
Living the Word: Deborah
From the Bishop Dear friends, At every Lambeth Conference, the gathering of bishops from across the Communion, there is a photograph taken of all attendees.…
Celebrating our women | PHOTOS
Nominated staff from across the organisation attended a small gathering at Fort Scratchley to celebrate International Women’s Day. It was wonderful to spend the morning…
Living the Word: John 1
From the Bishop Dear friends, Just over a week ago I was experiencing the riches of the Church of England. On my surprising extra Sunday…
St Peter’s East Maitland celebrates…
A historic pipe organ – one of only 11 to arrive in Australia and the oldest in operation – is celebrating its 150th anniversary at…
Lent is a time for…
When I was a Girls’ Friendly Society (GFS) leader, we were doing a program on Lent with our girls. It was 1984. We began by…
Living the Word: Romans 4…
From the Bishop Dear friends, In a few days, Lent will begin. Across the Diocese, people will gather for services in which their foreheads will…
Welcoming back our school communities
There was excitement, tears and cheers as most of our staff and students across the four Newcastle Anglican Schools came together for the first time…
Living the Word: Kings vs…
From the Bishop I am not sure what you call January 26th. Some people call it Australia Day, while others call it Invasion Day. For…
Scone students lead by serving…
Last year’s Where There’s a Will student leaders – Hallie Croucher, Lochie Hails, and Sienna Johnson from Scone Grammar School (SGS) – have continued to make an outstanding contribution throughout 2025. The trio proudly represented…
Welcoming the community back to…
All Saints Anglican Church in New Lambton has been turned on its head as part of a recent renovation. When you next enter the church, you may notice a significant…
From Stroud to Sri Lanka:…
Six parishioners from St John’s Church, Stroud, recently embarked on an unforgettable adventure in Sri Lanka. First stop was a Christian girls orphanage based in Moratuwa, near Colombo. The Stroud community had earlier rallied…
Exciting plans in store for…
It’s shaping up as an exciting year ahead for the Anglican Parish of Cessnock. St John’s Cottage, which is located next to the church on Dudley Street, will…
Living the Word: New Year…
From the Bishop This is our second engagement with the people of the Diocese as a “Living the Word” community. Our hope is that, together,…
A blueprint in time
Christ Church Cathedral is at the centre of Dr Ian Eckford’s PhD, focusing on the Gothic Revival architecture as designed by John Horbury Hunt. Ian’s interest in the Cathedral was initially sparked due to a personal…


















