Len Eacott

thumb {{short description|Australian Anglican bishop}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}} {{Use Australian English|date=February 2020}} {{Infobox Christian leader | type = Bishop | honorific_prefix = {{pre-nominal styles|size=100%|RRevd}} | name = Len Eacott | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominal styles|country=AUS|size=100%|AM}} | title = Bishop to the Australian Defence Force | image = | alt = | caption = | church = Anglican Church of Australia | diocese = | term = 29 June 2007<ref name="Defence Anglican Leadership 2011">{{cite web |title=Defence Anglican Leadership |url=http://www.defenceanglicans.org.au/?q=about/leadership |website=Defence Anglicans |publisher=Anglican Church of Australia |access-date=15 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110313163054/http://www.defenceanglicans.org.au/?q=about%2Fleadership |archive-date=13 March 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> – 31 December 2012<ref name="Defence Anglican Leadership 2019">{{cite web |title=Defence Anglican Leadership |url=https://www.defenceanglicans.org.au/about-us/defence-anglican-leadership/ |website=Defence Anglicans |publisher=Anglican Church of Australia |access-date=15 February 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190305140425/https://www.defenceanglicans.org.au/about-us/defence-anglican-leadership/ |archive-date=5 March 2019 |url-status=usurped}}</ref><ref name="DA 2012">{{cite news |last1=Rose |first1=Peter |title=Tribute to our Retiring Bishop |url=https://www.defenceanglicans.org.au/tribute-to-our-retiring-bishop/ |access-date=15 February 2020 |work=Defence Anglicans |publisher=Anglican Church of Australia |date=2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228161624/https://www.defenceanglicans.org.au/tribute-to-our-retiring-bishop/ |archive-date=28 February 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> | other_post =  | ordination = 1983 | ordained_by = | consecration = 29 June 2007<ref name="Defence Anglican Leadership 2011" /> | consecrated_by = | rank =  | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1947|06|14|df=yes}} | birth_place = Toowoomba, Queensland | death_date = | death_place = | nationality = Australia | religion = Anglican | spouse = Sandy<ref name="Defence Anglican Leadership 2011" /> | children = Not Public /> | alma_mater = St Francis' Theological College<br />University of Queensland University of South Australia<ref name="Defence Anglican Leadership 2011" /> }}

'''Leonard Sidney Eacott''' {{postnominals|country=AUS|AM|}} (born 14 June 1947<ref name="AWM" />) is a retired Australian Anglican bishop, army chaplain and military officer, who served as Anglican Bishop to the Australian Defence Force from 2007 to 2012.

== Early life, parish ministry and military career == Eacott was born in Toowoomba<ref name="AWM">{{cite web |title=Election banner : Chaplain L S Eacott, UNTAC |url=https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C967509 |website=Australian War Memorial |publisher=Commonwealth of Australia |access-date=15 February 2020}}</ref> and grew up in regional Queensland.<ref name="2007 SMH" />

Eacott enlisted in the Royal Australian Infantry Corps of the Citizens Military Forces in November 1966, and from 1968 to 1972 fulfilled a national service commitment.<ref name="AWM" /> In early 1972, Eacott was commissioned as a General Service Officer (Royal Australian Infantry) in the Army Reserve, serving with 25 Battalion, the Royal Queensland Regiment and the Queensland University Regiment.<ref name="AWM" /><ref name="Defence Anglican Leadership 2011" /> He was also employed as a soil conservation field officer by the Queensland Department of Primary Industries until commencing training for Anglican ministry in 1980.

Eacott is a graduate of St Francis' Theological College and the University of Queensland and initially served in rural and city parish ministry<ref name="2007 SMH" /> and part-time army chaplaincy with the Army Reserve in Southern Queensland before transferring to full-time chaplaincy with the Royal Australian Army Chaplains' Department.<ref name="Defence Anglican Leadership 2011" />

As part of his military service as a chaplain, Eacott served as Anglican chaplain to the 3rd Brigade, Townsville, deployed in 1993 with the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia,<ref name="2007 SMH">{{cite news |title=Church appoints new defence force bishop |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/church-appoints-new-defence-force-bishop-20070521-dy5.html |access-date=15 February 2020 |work=Sydney Morning Herald |publisher=Nine Entertainment Co |date=21 May 2007}}</ref> the Land Warfare Centre, Canungra.<ref name="Defence Anglican Leadership 2011" /> From 1996 to 1999 he served as senior chaplain to 1 Division at the Deployable Joint Force Headquarters at Enoggera.<ref name="AWM" /> In 1999–2000 Eacott served as Senior Chaplain to the International Force East Timor under Major General Peter Cosgrove,<ref name="2007 SMH" /> during which time he was involved with the exhumation and reburial of bodies suspected as being victims of crimes against humanity and established and maintained a burial register.<ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Patterson |editor1-first=Eric |title=Military chaplains in Afghanistan, Iraq, and beyond : advisement and leader engagement in highly religious environments |date=2014 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |location=Lanham, Maryland |isbn=978-1-4422-3540-3 |page=2}}</ref> He also served as Senior Chaplain to the Logistic Support Force and Command Chaplain to Land Headquarters in Sydney.<ref name="Defence Anglican Leadership 2011" /> On 1 March 2002, Eacott was collated as archdeacon to the Australian Army and on 18 November 2002 was appointed as principal chaplain to the Australian Army (Director General of Chaplaincy – Army), a position which he held until 21 January 2007.<ref name="Defence Anglican Leadership 2011" /> He retired from the Australian Regular Army on 16 June 2007.

== Episcopal ministry == In May 2007, Eacott was appointed by the Primate of the Anglican Church and Chief of the Defence Force as Anglican Bishop to the Australian Defence Force, replacing Bishop Tom Frame.<ref name="2007 SMH" /> He was consecrated as bishop and installed on 29 June 2007.<ref name="Defence Anglican Leadership 2011" />

Eacott retired on 31 December 2012 after reaching the retirement age of 65 years and was succeeded by Bishop Ian Lambert.<ref name="Bandiana Bishop BM">{{cite news |last1=Bunn |first1=Anthony |title=Bandiana Bishop felt calling to lead ADF |url=https://www.bordermail.com.au/story/1417980/bandiana-bishop-felt-calling-to-lead-adf/interactive/ |access-date=15 February 2020 |work=The Border Mail |publisher=Australian Community Media |date=9 April 2013}}</ref>

== Publications == * {{cite report |last=Eacott |first=Leonard Sidney |date=1979 |title=Practical Aspects of Planning and Implementing Strip Cropping Systems on Very Low Gradient Land |docket=Division of Land Utilisation Report 79/4, Queensland Department of Primary Industries }} * {{cite journal |last1=Eacott |first1=Leonard Sidney |date=1992 |title=World War 1: A Testing Time for Australian Christianity |url=https://www.defence.gov.au/adc/adfj/Documents/issue_95/95_1992_Jul_Aug.pdf |journal=Australian Defence Force Journal |publisher=Department of Defence |volume=95 |issue=July/August 1992 |pages=53–57 |access-date=24 April 2020}} * {{cite book |last1=Eacott |first1=Leonard Sidney |editor1-last=Hale |editor1-first=Stephen |editor2-last=Curnow |editor2-first=Andrew |editor1-link=Stephen Hale (bishop) |editor2-link=Andrew Curnow |title=Facing the future : bishops imagine a different church |date=2009 |publisher=Acorn Press |location=Brunswick, Victoria |isbn=978-0-908284-90-0 |edition=1st |chapter=Chapter 11: Ministry in War and Peace}}

== Awards and personal life == Eacott is married to Sandy (Reference to family removed for privacy reasons).<ref name="Defence Anglican Leadership 2011" />

Eacott was awarded the Reserve Force Decoration in 1987.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.legislation.gov.au/file/1987GN19 |title=Special Information: Australian Army – Recommendations for the Award of Reserve Force Decoration; Recommendation for the Award of Reserve Force Medal |newspaper=Commonwealth of Australia Gazette |issue=GN19 |location=Australia |date=9 September 1987 |access-date=24 April 2020 |page=1128 }}</ref> Eacott was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (Military Division) in the 2007 Australia Day Honours for "exceptional service and outstanding devotion to duty as Principal Chaplain – Army and Head of Corps, Royal Australian Army Chaplains' Department".<ref name="Honour Database">{{cite web |title=Principal Chaplain Leonard Sidney EACOTT |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1133860 |website=Australian Honours Search Facility |publisher=Commonwealth of Australia |access-date=15 February 2020 |date=26 January 2007}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

{{s-start}} {{s-rel|ac}} {{s-bef|before=Tom Frame}} {{s-ttl|title=Bishop to the Australian Defence Force|years=2007–2012}} {{s-aft|after=Ian Lambert}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Eacott, Len}} Category:1947 births Category:21st-century Anglican bishops in Australia Category:Anglican bishops to the Australian Defence Force Category:Australian Anglican bishops Category:Australian Army chaplains Category:Australian Army officers Category:Australian military personnel of the International Force for East Timor Category:Living people Category:Members of the Order of Australia Category:University of Queensland alumni

Len Eacott

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