# Howell Witt

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{{Short description|Australian Anglican bishop (1920–1998)}}
{{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Portal|Christianity}}
'''Howell Arthur John Witt''' (12 July 1920 – 8 July 1998) was an Australian [Anglican](/source/Anglican) [bishop](/source/bishop) for over 25 years who served two very different [diocese](/source/diocese)s.<ref>{{cite book | title=[Crockford's clerical directory](/source/Crockford's_clerical_directory) | location=London | publisher=Church House | date=1995 | isbn=0-7151-8088-6}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.genealogybuff.com/misc/west_australia_obits23.htm |title=Index of Western Australia obituaries | publisher=genealogybuff.com | accessdate=2019-01-17}}</ref> During his time as [Bishop of North West Australia](/source/Anglican_Bishop_of_North_West_Australia), he published his memoir, entitled ''Bush Bishop''.<ref>{{cite book |first=Howell | last=Witt | year=1979 | title=Bush Bishop | publisher=Rigby | isbn=978-0727009876 }}</ref> He subsequently served as [Bishop of Bathurst](/source/Anglican_Diocese_of_Bathurst) from 1981 to 1989.

Witt was born in [Newport, Wales](/source/Newport%2C_Wales), where his father worked as a docker.<ref>{{cite book|title=Priests and Prelates: The Daily Telegraph Clerical Obituaries|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=awPGiqoCrSgC&pg=PA196|date=23 June 2006|publisher=A&C Black|isbn=978-0-8264-8100-9|pages=196}}</ref> He was educated at [Leeds University](/source/Leeds_University) and the [College of the Resurrection](/source/College_of_the_Resurrection) in Mirfield.<ref>[“Who was Who” 1897-2007](/source/Who's_Who) London, [A & C Black](/source/A_%26_C_Black), 1991  {{ISBN|978-0-19-954087-7}}</ref> Ordained deacon in 1944 and priest in 1945, after [curacies](/source/Curate) at [Usk](/source/Usk) (1944–48) and St George', [Camberwell](/source/Camberwell) (1948–49)<ref>''Crockford's Clerical Directory, 1973-74'', 85th Edition, p 1057.</ref> he emigrated to Australia where he became [chaplain](/source/chaplain) at the [Woomera Rocket Station, South Australia](/source/Woomera_Prohibited_Area) (1949–54). While at Woomera, Howell gave the first performance of his drag act, "the Dowager Duchess of Dingo Creek".<ref name=FBG>Fergus Butler-Gallie, "The Right Reverend Howell Witt, Bishop of North West Australia (1920–98)" in A Field Guide to the English Clergy (London: Oneworld Publications, 2018) {{ISBN|9781786074416}}, pp. 3–6</ref> After this, he was [rector](/source/Rector_(ecclesiastical)) of St Mary Magdalene's [Adelaide](/source/Adelaide) (1954–57)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://stmarymagdalenes.weebly.com/history.html | title=History, St Mary Magdalene's Anglican Church | publisher=St Mary Magdalene's Anglican Church | accessdate=2019-01-07}}</ref> and then [Elizabeth](/source/Elizabeth%2C_South_Australia) (1957–65).<ref name=DT/>

A hugely colourful character,<ref name=DT>''Priests and Prelates: The Daily Telegraph Book of Clerical Obituaries'', T. Beeson (ed) London, Continuum, 2002 {{ISBN|0-8264-6337-1}}</ref> in 1965 he was ordained to the [episcopate](/source/episcopate) as Anglican Bishop of North West Australia and was often featured in the media.<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=[The Times](/source/The_Times) | date=3 September 1968 | page=12 | title=Interview with Howell Witt}}</ref> He was later translated to serve as Bishop of Bathurst from 1981 to 1989 and in that role was reported to be "bumbling, inappropriate, and adventurous to the end".<ref name=FBG/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{S-start}}
{{S-rel|ac}}
{{S-bef|before=[John Frewer](/source/John_Frewer)}}
{{S-ttl|title=[Bishop of North West Australia](/source/Anglican_Bishop_of_North_West_Australia)|years=1965&ndash;1981}}
{{S-aft|after=[Ged Muston](/source/Ged_Muston)}}
{{S-bef|before=[Ken Leslie](/source/Ken_Leslie)}}
{{S-ttl|title=7th&nbsp;[Bishop of Bathurst](/source/Anglican_Bishop_of_Bathurst)|years=1981&ndash;1989}}
{{S-aft|after=[Bruce Wilson](/source/Bruce_Wilson_(bishop))}}
{{End}}

{{Bishops of North West Australia}}
{{Anglican Bishops of Bathurst}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Witt, Howell Arthur John}}
Category:1920 births
Category:Alumni of the University of Leeds
Category:Anglican bishops of North West Australia
Category:Anglican bishops of Bathurst
Category:1998 deaths
Category:Alumni of the College of the Resurrection

{{Australia-anglican-bishop-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Howell Witt](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howell_Witt) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howell_Witt?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.