From Biscuits to Bishop (Women’s History Exhibition) – Home

FROM BISCUITS TO BISHOP

A celebration of Anglican women’s history in the Diocese of Brisbane

Long before the Diocese was established, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women were nurturing the land and the spirit. We honour their legacy and pay respects to those who follow in their foot steps.

Largely unsung, Anglican women have played significant roles in church and society and contributed vitally to the development of Brisbane. From building churches to championing women’s rights, Anglican women made, and make, significant contributions to our social and political lives. We trace the evolving position of women in the diocese—from the kitchen to the boardroom, and from laity to clergy.

From prescribed functions of biscuit makers and fundraisers, women pursued new paths as educators, missionaries, and activists throughout the 20th century. The latter half of the century saw the establishment of the Movement for the Ordination of Women (MOW). As a result, women were ordained deacons in 1988 and priests in 1992. Changes were then made in 2008 allowing women to be bishops. The first woman to hold the office of bishop in Brisbane was the Right Reverend Alison Taylor, consecrated in 2013 as bishop for the Southern Region.

So we move from biscuits to bishop.

FOREWORD BY THE MOST REV’D KAY GOLDSWORTHY AO

From Biscuits to Bishops is a powerful and creative celebration of Anglican women – specifically, faithful women who have shaped, supported, challenged and inspired the Anglican Church in the Diocese of Brisbane since its formation in 1859. In this multimedia presentation, the historic progress of the place of women in the life, mission and leadership of the church is vividly depicted and carefully detailed as a tribute to what has been accomplished, and as a reminder of the work that still needs to be done.

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From Biscuits to Bishops is intertwined with my own story, for it was in the Diocese of Brisbane that my spiritual journey led me back home to Anglicanism and the church in which I would respond to God’s call, again and again. It is therefore a cause for concern that some recent shifts and movements within the Anglican Communion and our national Church limit the scope and space for other women to similarly respond to God’s call. From Biscuits to Bishops offers a timely and encouraging voice of resistance, and a rousing appeal to advance the progress that has already been made with regard to women’s participation and leadership in church and society.

It is my hope and prayer that the memories, stories, images and displays of this digital exhibition will effectively convey the faith and legacy of the lay and ordained women who have been part of that marvellous journey ‘from biscuits to bishops’.

The Most Reverend Kay Goldsworthy AO
Archbishop of Perth

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

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Exhibition Working Group
Dr Gwenneth Roberts
The Rev’d Kate Ross
Lyn Moorfoot
Dr Crisia Constantine

Research assistance
Michael Rogers (Diocesan Archivist)

Video Material
Dr John Roberts

Website Design and Content Management:
Dean Peter Catt
Sarah Malherbe

Logo Artwork (Biscuits to Bishop):
Professor Mary Roberts

HOW TO NAVIGATE THE EXHIBITION

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This Exhibition is organised into 7 sequential categories starting with early efforts towards ordination for women and ending with current key women in the church

Women in the Brisbane Diocese
Women’s Organisations
Early Women’s Missionaries
Emerging Leaders
Movement for the Ordination of Women (MOW)
Ordination Achieved
The Way Forward

Below are short descriptions of what information is in each category. Below each description is a button that will take you to a new page with all the information. Most pages will have a section for each woman’s story that has a title with their name and a drop down toggle. To open the toggle, click on the grey box. To close it, click it again.

Once you are done reading a page, there are buttons at the bottom of each page which you can click to continue reading more stories. Or you can use the back button to return to the exhibition home page.