Frank Woods (bishop)

Sir Frank Woods KBE ChStJ (6 April 1907 – 29 November 1992) was an English-born Anglican bishop. From 1957 to 1977, he served as Archbishop of Melbourne. He was additionally the Primate of Australia between 1971 and 1977.

Early life
Woods was born in 1907 in Davos, Switzerland. Woods was the son of the Right Reverend Edward Sydney Woods (1877-1953), Bishop of Lichfield, of the church of England, and Rachel Clemence Barclay. In 1914, the family moved back to England where his father became the army chaplain and vicar before consecration as bishop suffragan of Croydon in 1930, which then lead to being the bishop of Lichfield in 1937.

His siblings included his brother of the photographer Janet Woods, Samuel Woods, an archdeacon in New Zealand, and Robin Woods, Bishop of Worcester, and a nephew of Theodore Woods, who served as Bishop of Winchester.

Education
He was educated at Marlborough in 1920. In 1929, Woods was elected president of the Student Christian Movement (SCM) at Cambridge.

In 1930, Woods attended Trinity College, Cambridge, which lead to getting his Masters in 1933.

Later years
On June 9, 1936, Woods married Jean Margaret Sprules. Wood's father presided over the wedding, which was held at St. Alban's Abbey.

Ordained ministry
Woods was ordained as a priest in 1932, After a curacy at St Mary's Church, Portsea in the Diocese of Portsmouth he became chaplain of his Cambridge alma mater, Trinity College. He then became Vice-Principal of Wells Theological College. During the Second World War, he served as a chaplain in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and then, successively, a vicar in Huddersfield (1945–52); Suffragan Bishop of Middleton (1952–57); and, in 1957, Archbishop of Melbourne for over 20 years. From 1971 he was also the Anglican Primate of Australia.

Honours
Woods was appointed, on 3 June 1972, a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE). He used the title of "Sir", as is the established protocol in Australia for knighted clergy. He was also a Chaplain of the Order of St John.