Philip Freier

Dr Philip Freier became Archbishop of Melbourne in December 2006, following seven and a half years as Bishop of the Northern Territory. Previously he was in ministry in Queensland, among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in north Queensland, and then in Brisbane.

Since coming to Melbourne, Dr Freier has been working towards engaging the church with the wider community, particularly through his Breakfast Conversations. The Archbishop is closely involved in community organisations and strongly committed to social justice issues, with a particular concern for indigenous peoples.

He has called for a national inquiry into childhood and has recently advocated for a new social contract for Australia, upholding a vision of the common good in which there is a sense of mutual obligation to one another and responsibility for one another.