1 LETTERS PATENT Colonial Secretary's Office, Sydney, 23rd March, 1864. DIOCESE OF GOULBURN HIS Excellency the Governor is pleased to direct the publication of the following Letters Patent, bearing date the 11th March, 1863, whereby Her Majesty has been pleased to alter the limits of the Diocese of Sydney, and to erect a portion of the said Diocese into a new and separate Diocese, to be called the Diocese of Goulburn, and to appoint The Right Reverend MESAC THOMAS, Doctor in Divinity, to be Bishop of the Diocese of Goulburn. W. FORSTER. LETTERS PATENT FOR CREATING THE NEW BISHOPRIC OF GOULBURN, AND APPOINTING THE FIRST BISHOP. VICTORIA, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the Faith, to all to whom these presents shall come, Greeting:- WHEREAS We did, by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of the ,United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date the twenty-fifth day of June, in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-seven, and in the eleventh year of Our reign erect, found, ordain, make, and constitute all those parts or portions of Our Colony of New South Wales known or called by the names of the Counties of Wellington, Roxburgh, Cook, Cumberland, Camden, Westmoreland, Georgiana, Bathurst, King, Murray, Argyle, Auckland, with the territory to the west bounded by the parallel of south latitude 32o 30’, and the 141st degree of east longitude, together with all those parts of the continent of Australia not comprised within the limits of any other See or Diocese, to be a Bishop's See and Diocese, and to be called from thenceforth the Bishopric of Sydney, saving nevertheless to Us, Our Heirs, and Successors, the power of altering from time to time, with the consent of the Archbishop of Canterbury for the time being, if the said Bee be vacant or otherwise of the said Archbishop and of the Bishop of the See for the time being, the limits of the said Diocese or of the Jurisdiction of the Bishop thereof. And whereas by certain other Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of Our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the nineteenth day of October, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-four, in the eighteenth year of Our Reign, We did constitute and appoint Our well-beloved Frederic Barker, Doctor- in-Divinity, to the said See and Diocese of Sydney. And whereas the said Frederic Barker, being first duly consecrated, became and now is Lord Bishop of the said See ; and whereas by reason of the great extent, and of the increased population of the said See or Diocese, it is expedient to alter the limits thereof, and the Jurisdiction if the Bishop thereof1by separating therefrom all those 1 This is a copy of the text of the Letters Patent creating the Diocese of Goulburn, the original is held in the National Library of Australia parts or portions of Our Colony of New South Wales which are bounded as follows, that is to say :-To the north by the 34th parallel of south latitude ; to the west by the 141st meridian of east longitude, being the boundary of the Colony of South Australia; to the south and south-west, from the said last-mentioned meridian to Cape Howe, by the boundary of the Colony of Victoria; and to the east and north-east, as follows, that is to say:- First, from Cape Howe to Point Upright by the sea; then from Point Upright, northwards, by a line which divides the Registry Districts of Ulladulla and Shoalhaven, in the County of St. Vincent, from those of Broulee and Braidwood, in the same County, until the said line falls on the boundary of the Registry District of Goulburn, in the County of Argyle; then by a line which divides the Counties of Argyle and Georgiana from those of St. Vincent, Camden, and Westmoreland, until the said line reaches the aforesaid 34th parallel of south latitude. And whereas the said Lord Archbishop of Canterbury and the said Lord Bishop of Sydney have, by Instrument under their respective hands and seals dated respectively the fourth day of March, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three eight hundred and sixty-three, duly signified their consents to such alteration of the limits of the said Diocese of Sydney, and of the jurisdiction of the said Bishop thereof: And whereas it is expedient that the portions of the said Diocese, so to be separated therefrom should he erected into a new and separate Diocese; to be called the Diocese of Goulburn: Now, therefore, We do by these presents separate from the said See and Diocese of all those parts of Our Colony of New South Wales which are contained within the boundaries hereinbefore described, and We do erect, found, ordain, and constitute the same to be a Bishop's See and Diocese, and to be called henceforth the Bishopric of Goulburn; saying, nevertheless, unto Us, Our Heirs, and Successors, the powers of altering, from time to time, with the consent of the said Archbishop of Canterbury for the time being, if the said See be vac-ant, or otherwise of the said Archbishop and of the Bishop of the said See for the time being, the limits of the said Diocese or of the jurisdiction of the Bishop thereof. And to the end this Our intention may be carried into due effect, We having great confidence in the learning, morals, probity, and prudence of Our well- beloved Mesac Thomas, Doctor of Divinity, do name and appoint him to be ordained and consecrate Bishop of the said See of Goulburn. And we do hereby signify to the Most Reverend Father in God Charles Thomas, by Divine Providence Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Primate of all England and Metropolitan, the erection and constitution of the said See and Diocese, and Our nomination of the said Mesac Thomas requiring, and by the faith and love whereby he is bound unto US, commanding the said Most Reverend Father in God to ordain and consecrate the said Mesac Thomas to be Bishop of the said See and Diocese, in manner accustomed, and diligently to do and perform all other things appertaining to his office in this behalf with effect. And We do ordain and declare that the said Mesac Thomas, so by Us nominated and appointed, after having been ordained and consecrated thereunto as aforesaid, may, by virtue of such appointment and consecration, enter into and possess the said Bishop's See as Bishop thereof, without let or impediment from Us, our Heirs, and Successors, for the term of his natural life; subject, nevertheless, to the right of resignation hereinafter more particularly expressed. Moreover We will and grant by these presents that the said Bishop of Goulburn shall be a Body Corporate, and do ordain, make and constitute him to be a perpetual corporation, and to have perpetual succession; and that he and his successors be for ever hereafter called or known by the name or title of the "Lord Bishop of Goulburn;” and that he and his successors, by the name or title aforesaid, shall be able and capable in the law, and have full power to purchase, have, full power to purchase, have, take, hold, and enjoy manors, messuages, lands, rents, tenements annuities, and hereditaments, of what nature or kind soever, in fee and perpetuity. or for a term of life or years; and also all manner of goods, chattels, and things persons whatsoever, of what nature or value soever, and that he and his successors, and under the said name or title, may prosecute, claim, plead and be impleaded, defend and be defended, answer and be answered, in all manner of Courts of Us, Our Heirs and Successors, and elsewhere in and upon all and singular causes, actions, actions, suits, writs, and demands, real and personal, and mixed, as well as spiritual and temporal, and in all other things, causes, and matters whatsoever; and that the said Bishop of Goulburn, and his successors, shall and may forever hereafter have and use a Corporate Seal, and the said Seal from time to time at his and their will and pleasure, break, change, alter, or make anew, as he or they shall deem expedient. And we do further by these presents, ordain and constitute the Town of Goulburn within the colony of New South Wales, to be a Bishop's See, and the seat of the said Bishop. And we do ordain that the said Town of Goulburn shall henceforth be a city, and be called the “City of Goulburn." And We do hereby further ordain and declare that the Church called St' Saviour's, in the said city of Goulburn shall henceforth be the Cathedral Church and See of the said Mesac Thomas and his successors, Bishops of Goulburn. And We do further ordain and declare that the said Bishop of Goulburn and his successors shall be subject and subordinate to the Bishop of Sydney, as Metropolitan in the same manner as any Bishop of any See within the Province of Canterbury in our Kingdom of England, is under the Metropolitan See of Canterbury and the Archbishop thereof. And We do further will and ordain that every Bishop Of Goulburn shall take an oath of due obedience to the Bishop of Sydney for the time being as his Metropolitan, which Oath shall and may be administered by the said Archbishop, or by any other person by him duly appointed or authorised for that purpose.