Diocese of Brisbane - St Clair George Alfred Donaldson

St Clair George Alfred Donaldson

4th Bishop of Brisbane (1904 - 1921)
1st Archbishop of Brisbane
Church Statesman

1905	Province of Queensland proclaimed (Dioceses of Brisbane, Rockhampton, North Queensland, Carpentaria, and New Guinea), at which time Donaldson became 1st Archbishop of Brisbane and Metropolitan of Province of Queensland
	Donaldson was at the forefront of those seeking to establish an independent Church in Australia
1905	Largely under his influence, the General Synod agreed to seek legal opinion as to the nexus between the Church of England in England and the Church in Australia and to how it could be broken
	Donaldson also disagreed with the suggestion that the Privy Council be retained as the ecclesiastical court of appeal - legal opinion to be presented to 1910 General Synod
	Charleville Bush Brotherhood established - Herbert Lavallin Puxley appointed Head with Brothers Alfred Edward Bevan and Bernard Charles Alfred Eva, joined shortly by Cecil Frederick Joy Holmes, John Stanley Gibbs and William Edward Colvile Barrett
	Rescue Home for Women opened at Wilston
1906	First Provincial Synod held
	Archdeacon Arthur Richard Rivers established small 'brotherhood' of catechists at Cabarlah near Toowoomba
	Contract signed (20 April) for construction of first part of cathedral - work commenced on 21 April
1907	Brisbane Theological College reopened at Nundah
	Inauguration of Mothers' Union in diocese
1908	Pan Anglican Congress and Lambeth Conference
	The Glennie School opened in Toowoomba
1909	Queensland Provincial Synod, under Donaldson's guidance, approved autonomy in principle
1910	Webber's remains reburied in Cathedral (21 September)
	First section of cathedral consecrated (28 October)
	State Education Act Amendment Act of 1910 passed, opening way for religious instruction to be given in State schools
	Legal opinion did not arrive in time to be presented to 1910 General Synod and the matter deferred to the next General Synod which, because of the war, was not held until 1916
1911	St John's University College established
	Goyte-Lea school at Southport purchased, renamed St Hilda's
	Church of England's Lads' Immigration Scheme approved by Government
1912	Religious Education Amendment Act passed (culmination of Bible in State Schools' League campaign started by Webber)
1913	The Southport School acquired
	St Magnus Hall school owned by Rev William Perry French Morris (later The Cathedral School and then The Church of England Boys Grammar School) acquired
	With the outbreak of war likely, Donaldson was appointed Senior Anglican Chaplain in Queensland for the Armed Forces
1914-1918	During the war years Donaldson was a member of the Queensland Recruiting Campaign, and was bitterly disappointed at failure of both conscription referenda
	Donaldson fought strenuously for the members of each denomination to have Church Parades taken by ministers of their particular denomination - he also fought vigorously to have a chaplain appointed to each troop ship leaving Australia
1915	Archdeacon Henry Frewen Le Fanu consecrated and appointed Assistant Bishop
	Bowen House School acquired from Mr Knox Carson (later absorbed in Cathedral School)
	Diocesan Temperance Committee formed, later merged with Diocesan Social Service Committee
	Sailors and Soldiers Church of England Help Society founded
1916	Chapter acquired Pyrmont Private Hospital
	Property on corner of Ann and Wharf Streets acquired, later amalgamated as site for St Martin's Hospital
	Rev Canon David John Garland appointed (3 February) as Honorary Secretary for first Anzac Day commemoration, and first Anzac Day procession held
	General Synod received the advice sought at the 1905 General Synod on the nexus question and voted to reconvene the committee to make further enquiries and report to the 1921 General Synod
1918	The Warwick Girls' High School opened - later taken over by the Society of the Sacred Advent and renamed St Catharine's
1919	Land purchased for Slade School
1920	Toowoomba Preparatory School purchased from Gill
1921	St Martin's Hospital built on above sites, opened as War Memorial (officially opened 1922)
	Miss Sutton's private school purchased as preparatory school for Glennie
	General Synod decided to pursue the path of autonomy, a matter not brought to finality until 1961
Throughout his episcopate Donaldson actively pursued the reform of General Synod and the Australian Board of Missions. His episcopate was handicapped by the shortage of clergy, lack of money, and World War I. Donaldson translated to the See of Salisbury.