Moyes, John Stoward (1884 - 1972)

John Stoward Moyes studied psychology and logic at the University of Adelaide (B.A., 1905; M.A., 1907). Moyes entered St Barnabas' Theological College, he was made deacon on 22 December 1907 and ordained priest on 21 December 1908 by the bishop of Adelaide. From 1925 he was archdeacon of Adelaide.

Moyes was Consecrated on 30 November 1929 as bishop of Armidale, New South Wales, Moyes used his episcopacy as a platform for his political and social views.

Moyes spoke out against (Sir) Robert Menzies' proposal to outlaw the Communist Party of Australia, backed the movement to reform the White Australia policy and opposed the Vietnam War. Despite accusations that he was a communist sympathizer, his politics were essentially liberal. In 1965 he published a critique of communism, The Communist Way of Life and the Christian's Answer (Sydney).

From 1929 to 1964 he was the Bishop of Armidale, NSW and from 1960-67 the Deputy Chancellor of the University of New England. He was the first Freeman of the city of Armidale in 1954 and of Tamworth in 1964 and was Episcopal Canon St George's Cathedral Jerusalem.

Moyes wrote and lectured extensively on theological and social matters.

[Brief Biography compiled by Robin Hammond, January/February 2004]

• O'Brien, Anne, 'Moyes, John Stoward (1884 - 1972)', in Australian Dictionary of Biography - Online Edition, Australian National University, 2006, http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A150502b.htm. [ Details... ]