{{Short description|Australian bishop (1918–2005)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}} {{Portal|Christianity}} '''Denis William Bryant''' DFC (31 January 1918 – 9 August 2005) was a Royal Air Force Officer and then an Anglican bishop in Australia in the third quarter of the 20th century.

==Early life== He was born on 31 January 1918, and educated at Cardiff University.<ref>''Who was Who'' 1897-1990 London, A & C Black, 1991 {{ISBN|0-7136-3457-X}}</ref> His father Tom was a well-known harpist and kept the Carpenters' Arms public house in Efail Isaf.

==Air Force== Bryant served in the RAF both during the War and afterwards. In 1942 he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/35709/supplement/4061|title= ''Second Supplement to the London Gazette of 15 Sept 1942'', of 18 September 1942, p 4061|access-date=13 December 2020}}</ref> He was appointed Pilot Officer in 1943,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/35868/page/387|title=''Second Supplement to the London Gazette of 15 January 1943'', of 19 January 1943, p 387|access-date=13 December 2020}}</ref> Flying Officer in 1946<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37691/supplement/4167|title= ''Supplement to the London Gazette of 16 August 1946'', of 20 August 1946, p 4167|access-date=13 December 2020}}</ref> and Flight Lieutenant in 1948.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/38490/supplement/6728|title=''Supplement to the London Gazette'', 31 December 1948, p 6728|access-date=13 December 2020}}</ref> He had a conversion experience whilst flying a plane, and proceeded to ordination.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2005/16-september/gazette/the-rt-revd-denis-bryant|title=''Church Times'', Obituary: Denis Bryant, 16 September 2005|access-date=13 December 2020}}</ref>

==Church== After training for ordination at Queen’s College, Birmingham, Bryant was ordained in the Diocese of Guildford, as deacon in 1958 and priest in 1959.<ref>''Crockford's Clerical Directory'', 1973-74, 85th edition, p 128.</ref> He served curacies at St Thomas-on-the-Bourne, Farnham, (1958-1960) and St Mary the Virgin, Cuddington, Worcester Park (1960-1961).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2005/16-september/gazette/the-rt-revd-denis-bryant|title=''Church Times'', Obituary: Denis Bryant, 16 September 2005|access-date=13 December 2020}}</ref>

Having seen an advertisement in the church press for priests to serve in the remote and sparsely populated Australian Diocese of Kalgoorlie he became Rector of St Andrew's, Esperance (1961-1967). His new parish extended 200 miles north to south, and 65 east to west.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2005/16-september/gazette/the-rt-revd-denis-bryant|title=''Church Times'', Obituary: Denis Bryant, 16 September 2005|access-date=13 December 2020}}</ref> During his incumbency, he replaced the galvanised iron church with a new building, which was opened in 1964.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://esperance.perth.anglican.org/about/history.html|title=St Andrew's Esperance: History|access-date=14 December 2020|archive-date=22 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200222023848/http://esperance.perth.anglican.org/about/history.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1966 he was additionally appointed as Archdeacon of the Goldfields.

He was consecrated a bishop on 30 November 1967 at St&nbsp;George's Cathedral, Perth, to become the 4th Bishop of Kalgoorlie.<ref>[http://www.anglicanarchives.org.au/HDMS-HTML/SPSES257.htm Consecration details] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130410114708/http://anglicanarchives.org.au/HDMS-HTML/SPSES257.htm |date=10 April 2013 }}</ref> With closure of the goldfields, however, he realised that his diocese was no longer viable as a separate entity, and asked the Archbishop of Perth to reabsorb it, which occurred in 1973.<ref>{{Church Times | title = Proposed merger of two Australian dioceses | archive = 1972_11_10_024 | issue = 5726 | date = 10 November 1972 | page = 24 | accessed = 29 August 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2005/16-september/gazette/the-rt-revd-denis-bryant|title=''Church Times'', Obituary: Denis Bryant, 16 September 2005|access-date=13 December 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Anglican Diocese of Kalgoorlie (1914 - 1973) |url=https://www.findandconnect.gov.au/ref/wa/biogs/WE01483b.htm |website=Find & Connect |access-date=8 April 2021}}</ref>

After merger, he then served in parish ministry in Perth as Rector of St John the Evangelist, Northam (1973–1975) and St Lawrence's, Dalkeith (1975–1985),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au/Public/Inventory/PrintSingleRecord/6f1a0fd8-f061-4172-9f72-d73ddb774efd|title= WA Heritage Council: St Lawrence's, Dalkeith|access-date=14 December 2020}}</ref> as well as being an Assistant Bishop of Perth.<ref>{{Church Times | title = obituaries: Denis Bryant | archive = 2005_09_16_028 | issue = 7436 | date = 16 September 2005 | page = 28 | accessed = 29 August 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{Church Times | title = deaths: Bryant | archive = 2005_08_12_024 | issue = 7431 | date = 12 August 2005 | page = 24 | accessed = 29 August 2019 }}</ref>

==Personal life== He was married to Linda, and had a daughter. They both predeceased him. He died in 2005, aged 87.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2005/16-september/gazette/the-rt-revd-denis-bryant|title=''Church Times'', Obituary: Denis Bryant, 16 September 2005|access-date=13 December 2020}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{S-start}} {{S-rel|ac}} {{S-bef|before=Cecil Muschamp}} {{S-ttl|title=Bishop of Kalgoorlie|years=1967&ndash; 1972}} {{S-non|reason=See dissolved<!-- <ref>The diocese was subsumed into that of PerthCrockford's clerical directory1975-76 Lambeth, Church House, 1976 ISBN 0-18-015367-4 {{Please check ISBN|reason=Check digit (4) does not correspond to calculated figure.}}</ref> -->}} {{S-end}}

{{Bishops of Kalgoorlie}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bryant, Denis William}} Category:1918 births Category:Alumni of Cardiff University Category:Royal Air Force officers Category:Anglican archdeacons in Australia Category:20th-century Anglican bishops in Australia Category:Anglican bishops of Kalgoorlie Category:Assistant bishops in the Anglican Diocese of Perth Category:2005 deaths Category:People from Esperance, Western Australia