Robert Lethbridge KING

KING, ROBERT LETHBRIDGE (b. at sea, 11 Feb 1823; d. Stanmore, NSW, 24 July 1897). Anglican clergyman.

Robert was the fourth son of Captain (later Admiral) Phillip Parker King and Harriet née Lethbridge. His paternal grandfather had been third governor of NSW and his family belonged to the colony's landed gentry. Born en route to Britain, King returned in 1829 and was educated at The King's School, Parramatta. He then went to St John's College, Cambridge (BA 1846), coming hack to Sydney to he ordained deacon in 1847 and priest in 1848 by Bp Broughton.

Robert King was one of a significant group of young Australians of good family ordained in the late 1840s. Whereas those trained locally were often influenced by the bishop’s Tractarianism, the Cambridge-educated King was able to retain his original evangelical faith. This was strengthened by his appointment as curate at St Phillip's, Sydney, to Archdeacon William Cowper (q.v.), the colony's senior evangelical clergyman. Cowper's age and administrative duties allowed King plenty of parish responsibility.

The advent of an evangelical bishop, Frederic Barker (q.v.), in 1855 resulted in the immediate appointment of King to the important parish of St John's, Parramatta. At his old mentor, Samuel Marsden's (q.v.), former church, King completed the new building and strengthened the congregation as the town's situation changed. He became the bishop’s examining chaplain in 1858 and this led on to his move to Moore Theological College as principal, ten years later.

Moore College at Liverpool was Australia's only institution for training Anglican clergy. Cut off from the university and its colleges, at a distance from Sydney and badly understaffed, the College had adopted a conservative curriculum tor its often poorly-equipped student entry. King, himself no theologian but a fine teacher, could do little to improve these matters but he took advantage of his own background experience to give much better pastoral training. The College attracted candidates from various dioceses—Sydney students were in a minority—and returned them as competent evangelical ministers. King was thus central to the development of a strong local brand of evangelicalism. His scholarly standards attracted criticism from Melbourne, where a university-based college became feasible, but Abp Perry (q.v.), defended his work.

Overwork caused King's resignation in 1878 and his return to parish work: at Gladesville and, from 1880, at Holy Trinity, Miller's Point. He used this garrison and slum parish as a base for diocesan administration. As archdeacon of Cumberland, he bore a heavy load, especially in the frequent absences of the theologically eclectic Bishop Barry. King thus became an evangelical leader in a diocese which was becoming more diverse in churchmanship. He retired in 1895 but stayed as secretary of the Missions to Seamen.

Robert King married, on 30 Dec 1852 Honoria Australia Raymond. As the bride's second Christian name proclaimed, she was colonial born, a daughter of the Postmaster-General. Of their six sons, three entered the Anglican ministry: one, Copland King (q.v.), was a pioneer missionary in New Guinea.

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