Churchill Julius was bishop of Christchurch, 1890 to 1925 and 1st “Archbishop of New Zealand”, 1922 to 1925. He was a very able and forthright leader of the church.

His father was doctor to King William IV so he was born in Richmond Palace. Brought up in a strict evangelical household. He attended Blackheath Proprietary School, King’s College School in London and Worcester College, Oxford, the centre of the Anglo-Catholic revival. Julius came under the influence of Canon Christopher of St Aldate’s, the stronghold of evangelicalism in Oxford. He was warmed by Christopher’s devout, industrious life, especially during a cholera epidemic. Churchill Julius graduated in 1869, was ordained deacon in 1871 and priest in 1872. He was an evangelical, but with no antipathy to the Oxford Movement.

After several curacies he became vicar of Islington, a London slum. He excelled in the development of a well-organised parish and the provision of activities for young people. He had a love of humanity and a strong social conscience. In 1883, Bishop Thornton of Ballarat, on a visit to England, invited him to be archdeacon of Ballarat. In 1884 he and his family sailed to Australia. Julius showed himself a gifted motivator in the development of the parish especially its educational work.

In 1890, Churchill Julius became Bishop of Christchurch, New Zealand, which was entering a period of industrial turmoil. He got involved with labour organisations from the outset and used his outstanding eloquence to speak out against cruelty, oppression and tyranny in the workplace. He delivered a stinging attack on competitive individualism and willingly accepted the label “Christian Socialist”, by which he meant social co-operation and organisation with a religious base.

A champion of the role of women in the church, in 1893 he brought Anglican nun, Sister Edith from England to lead a community of nuns, to work in education, nursing and welfare, they became the Community of the Sacred Name. Julius was behind the founding of St Margaret’s College which opened in 1910. In 1916 he surrendered half his wages to be used for education, and moved from Bishopscourt to his own house. It became the “Bishop’s Hostel”, opened in August 1917, for the benefit of teachers’ college and university women students. It is now known as Bishop Julius Hall.

The bishop, a strong advocate of a standing committee of General Synod (set up in 1916), had been in favor of there being an Archbishop, he just hadn't expected it to be him. He initially opposed his election, and hoped that no-one would call him “Your Grace,” a colourful figure he didn't have much time for the slavish use of honorific's. Known as the "Radical Bishop" he is described as one of the most remarkable men who ever donned apron and gaiters. Wise, outspoken, and intensely human, he was one of the master builders of the Anglican Church in N.Z. He retired in 1925.

BORN: 15 October 1847. Richmond Palace, Surrey, England.

DIED:1 September 1938, Christchurch, New Zealand.