| Anglican Church of Australia | |
|---|---|
 Arms
| |
| Classification | Protestant |
| Orientation | Anglican |
| Scripture | Holy Bible |
| Theology | Anglican doctrine |
| Polity | Episcopal |
| Primate | Geoffrey Smith Archbishop of Adelaide[1] |
| Territory | Australia |
| Independence | 1962 |
| Members | 3,101,200 as of 2016[update][2] 2016 |
| Official website | anglican.org.au |
The Anglican Church of Australia, originally known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania,[3] is a Christian church in Australia and an autonomous church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It is the second largest church in Australia after the Roman Catholic Church.[4]
For much of Australian history since the arrival of the First Fleet in January 1788, the church was the largest religious denomination. In recent times, however, Anglicanism in Australia has mirrored the steep decline in church membership and attendance experienced in many first-world, mostly post-modern nations.
The church is one of the largest providers of social welfare services in Australia.
- ^ "Archbishop Geoffrey Smith elected Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia". Anglican Communion News Service. Anglican Communion Office. 7 April 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
- ^ Gledhill, Ruth (2016). "Anglican membership figures could be out by millions". www.christiantoday.com. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ "The Church of England in Australia and Tasmania". www.findandconnect.gov.au. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
- ^ "Census vs Attendance (2001)". National Church Life Survey.