{{Short description|Australian Anglican bishop (1934–2019)}} {{for|the Australian footballer|Ian George (footballer)}} {{Use Australian English|date=August 2015}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}} {{Infobox Christian leader | type = bishop | honorific-prefix = {{pre-nominal styles|size=100%|MRevd}} | name = Ian George | honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|AO}} | title = Archbishop of Adelaide | image = Archbishop Ian George (6940943626).jpg | image_size = | alt = Archbishop George in 1995 | caption = Archbishop George in 1995 | native_name = | native_name_lang = | church = Anglican Church of Australia | province = Province of South Australia | diocese = Adelaide | see = | term_start = 29 June 1991<ref name="SLSA">{{cite web |title=SRG 94/107, Series List: Anglican Church of Australia – Diocese of Adelaide – Bishops of Adelaide |url=https://archival.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/srg/94/SRG94_107_BishopofAdelaide.pdf |website=State Library of South Australia |publisher=Government of South Australia |access-date=3 April 2021}}</ref> | term_end = 11 June 2004<ref name="ABC 2004">{{cite news |title=Archbishop quits after sex abuse scandal |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2004-06-11/archbishop-quits-after-sex-abuse-scandal/1991428 |access-date=3 April 2021 |work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=11 June 2004}}</ref> | predecessor = Keith Rayner | successor = Jeffrey Driver | other_post = Assistant bishop, Canberra and Goulburn (1989–1991)<br/>Archdeacon of Canberra (1981–1989)<br/>Dean of Brisbane (1973–1981) <!---------- Orders ----------> | ordination = 1964 (as priest) | ordained_by = | consecration = 28 October 1989 | consecrated_by = <!---------- Personal details ----------> | birth_name = Ian Gordon Combe George | birth_date = {{Birth date|1934|08|12|df=y}} | birth_place = Adelaide, South Australia, Australia | death_date = {{Death date and age|2019|01|28|1934|08|12|df=y}} | death_place = Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | buried = <!-- or | tomb = --> | resting_place_coordinates = | religion = Anglicanism | residence = | parents = | spouse = Barbara | children = 2 | occupation = | profession = <!-- or | previous_post = --> | education = | alma_mater = }} '''Ian Gordon Combe George''' {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AO}} (12 August 1934 – 28 January 2019) was an Australian Anglican bishop. He was the third Archbishop of Adelaide and Metropolitan of South Australia from 1991 to 2004.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.stcolumba.com.au/about/house_groups/george.aspx |title=St Columba College |access-date=15 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110217121022/http://www.stcolumba.com.au/about/house_groups/george.aspx |archive-date=17 February 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Early life and education== George was educated at St Peter's College, Adelaide and the University of Adelaide.<ref>Who's Who, 2007" London, AC Black, 2006 {{ISBN|978-0-7136-7527-6}}</ref>
==Career== After an earlier career as a lawyer, he was ordained a priest in 1964. He held curacies at St Thomas's Mamaroneck and St David's Burnside;<ref>''Crockford's Clerical Directory 1975–76'', London: Oxford University Press, 1976 {{ISBN|0-19-200008-X}}</ref> and was then priest in charge at St Barbara's Woomera. After this he was a chaplain and lecturer in history at the University of Western Australia. He was Dean of Brisbane from 1973 to 1981 when he became Archdeacon of Canberra. In 1989, he was appointed an assistant bishop of the diocese, consecrated on 28 October;<ref>[http://www.anglicanarchives.org.au/HDMS-HTML/SPSES257.htm Anglican Archives] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130410114708/http://anglicanarchives.org.au/HDMS-HTML/SPSES257.htm |date=10 April 2013 }}</ref> and in 1991 was translated to Adelaide.
George ordained five women to the priesthood on 5 December 1992 at St Peter's Cathedral in Adelaide.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://adelaideanglicans.com/stories/2018/1/the-ordination-of-women-to-the-priesthood-25-years-on|title=The Ordination Of Women To The Priesthood: 25 Years On|website=Adelaide Anglicans|language=en-AU|access-date=18 January 2019|archive-date=19 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119121429/https://adelaideanglicans.com/stories/2018/1/the-ordination-of-women-to-the-priesthood-25-years-on|url-status=dead}}</ref>
George was first recognised as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 1989 Australia Day Honours.
In the 2001 Australia Day Honours, George was further recognised as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) "for service to the Anglican Church, ecumenism and to the community through engagement in social policy issues and international relief work." His passion for refugees was a hallmark of his social engagement, in particular during his time as Archbishop of Adelaide.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gg.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/honours/aaagazattes/1994-2004/Order%20of%20Australia%20-%20Australia%20Day%202001%20(AD01)%20-%20Gazette%20S15.pdf|title=Australia Day Honours List 2001}}</ref>
George was awarded the Centenary Medal on 1 January 2001 for his "service to Australian society through the Anglican Church of Australia".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1127363}}</ref>
A keen supporter of the arts, especially the visual arts, George loved to make links between the great Christian themes of forgiveness, redemption and resurrection and the great masters. His Good Friday tours of the Art Gallery of South Australia were one way he expressed his love of the arts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://corinthiansingers.com.au/2012/03/|title=Art Gallery of South Australia Good Friday tours|access-date=30 January 2019|archive-date=30 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190130162421/https://corinthiansingers.com.au/2012/03/|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was co-author with painter David Dridan in the publication ''Artists of the Fleurieu'' (2008).
In 2004, George resigned from the role of archbishop due to mishandling of sex abuse allegations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/archbishop-quits-over-sex-scandal-20040612-gdy0ts.html|title=Archbishop quits over sex scandal|date=12 June 2004|website=The Age|language=en|access-date=18 January 2019}}</ref> This was just 10 weeks before he was due to retire.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2005/s1290448.htm|title=The World Today – Anglican plans to honour Ian George cause controversy|website=www.abc.net.au|access-date=18 January 2019}}</ref> Later, he admitted he should have listened to the priest who blew the whistle on the Brandenburg sex-abuse scandal that engulfed the church and cost him his job. At the Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse in January 2015 he described this as a "serious error in judgement".<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/sites/default/files/STAT.0816.001.0001_R.pdf|title=Statement of Ian George to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse|year=2015|pages=Paragraphs 22, 40}}</ref>
George moved to Melbourne following his resignation as Archbishop of Adelaide. He suffered a stroke in late 2018, and another in early 2019. He died at The Alfred Hospital two weeks later, on 28 January 2019.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/disgraced-archbishop-ian-george-dies-in-melbourne-hospital/news-story/4415831f76e0adb614fb8f6136d0c0ee |title=Disgraced archbishop Ian George dies in Melbourne hospital |first=Nigel |last=Hunt |newspaper=The Advertiser |date=29 January 2019 |access-date=29 January 2019}}</ref><ref name="Guardian 2019">{{cite news |editor1=Peter March |title=The Right Reverend Dr Ian Gordon Combe George AO |url=https://issuu.com/anglicanadl/docs/guardian_easter19 |access-date=3 April 2021 |work=Guardian: A Publication of the Anglican Diocese of Adelaide |issue=Easter 2019 |publisher=Anglican Diocese of Adelaide |page=7}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Brolly |first1=Mark |title=Former Archbishop of Adelaide Dr Ian George dies |url=http://tma.melbourneanglican.org.au/news/Former-Archbishop-Adelaide-Ian-George-dies-300119 |access-date=3 April 2021 |work=The Melbourne Anglican |publisher=Anglican Diocese of Melbourne |date=30 January 2019}}</ref>
==Personal life== George was married to Barbara George.<ref>[http://justus.anglican.org/resources/misc/angcommuniondirectory.html Anglican Communion Directory, March 2000]</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-rel|ac}} {{s-bef|before=Keith Rayner}} {{s-ttl|title=Archbishop of Adelaide|years=1991–2004}} {{s-aft |after=Jeffrey Driver}} {{s-end}}
{{Portal bar|Biography|Christianity|South Australia}} {{Anglican archbishops of Adelaide}} {{Deans of Brisbane}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:George, Ian}} Category:1934 births Category:2019 deaths Category:20th-century Anglican archbishops Category:20th-century Anglican bishops in Australia Category:21st-century Anglican archbishops Category:Adelaide Law School alumni Category:Anglican archbishops of Adelaide Category:Anglican archdeacons in Australia Category:Assistant bishops in the Anglican Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn Category:Deans of Brisbane Category:Officers of the Order of Australia Category:People educated at St Peter's College, Adelaide Category:Academic staff of the University of Western Australia