George Harvard CRANSWICK

CRANSWICK, GEORGE HARVARD (b. Sheffield, England, 26 Nov 1882; d. Stratford, Vic, 25 Oct 1954). Anglican bishop of Gippsland and missionary statesman.

Cranswick, who migrated to Australia with his parents when aged one year, was a son of the Rev E G Cranswick, who became the first Anglican rector of the Blue Mountains at Springwood. He grew up in the diocese of Sydney, was educated at The King's School

Parramatta, St Paul's College, University of Sydney (BA 1904) and Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, being deaconed in 1907 and priested in 1908.

After being curate of St Margaret's, Brighton, England 1907-09, he was a CMS missionary in India from 1910-14, but was forced to resign in 1914 when his young wife, Olive (née Hordern of St Paul's Chatswood whom he married in 1911), became dangerously ill with malaria.

On returning to Australia, he was briefly rector of St Paul's, Chatswood, and St Paul's, Bendigo, and in 1917 at the age of 35 became the second bishop of Gippsland, being consecrated in St Paul's, Melbourne on 1 Nov 1917. During his episcopate of 25 years, 32 new church buildings were consecrated or dedicated and 9 church buildings were restored 17 other buildings were erected including St Anne's CEGS which he founded at Sale in 1924. To help him in his ministry he founded a community of young men, known as the Brotherhood of St John, and encouraged the formation of a deaconess order with its own deaconess house. His extra-diocesan activities at this time included being for 10 years national president of the CEMS, and a member of the CMS, ABM, BFBS, NMC and the WCC.

Bishop Cranswick was first and foremost an evangelist, and in 1923 he delivered the Moorhouse Lecture entitled 'Evangelism in the Australian Church'. He was also a strong advocate for the ecumenical movement, the initial meeting of the WCC and NMC in Sydney largely being the result of his efforts. He was one of the founders of the Faith and Order Movement in Australia, and was its convenor for many years.

Bishop Cranswick resigned in 1942 and was chairman of the ABM during the difficult war years, resigning from this position in 1949. He died on 25 October 1954 and his ashes and those of his wife were buried under the sanctuary of St Paul's Cathedral, Sale.

A E Clark, The Church of our Fathers (Melbourne, 1947); Keith Cole, A History of the Church Missionary Society of Australia (Melbourne, 1971)

KEITH COLE