Barry Fernley has been an Anglican priest since his ordination in 1975 with 20 years as a hospital chaplain. He has lived and worked in parishes throughout Australia in rural, remote and metropolitan areas of NSW, ACT, WA, Far North Queensland, Victoria and NT. In 1997 – 1998 he completed 4 units of Clinical Pastoral Education at Austin Health at the Heidelberg Repatriation campus. He spent time as locum Parish priest at Bulleen and Upper Ferntree Gully before moving to the Northern Territory. After six years at the Alice Springs Hospital as the Ecumenical Chaplain, he returned to Melbourne and was the locum at Strathmore parish before being appointed as the Anglican Chaplain at The Alfred Hospital, Prahran January 2008–April 2014 and again October 2015-May 2016.
“At the end of April 2014 I had just finished 6½ years as the Anglican Chaplain at The Alfred Hospital and was looking for a change of direction. I had no idea what the future would hold or where I would go but the theme that seemed to come up in my prayers and devotional readings was “wait, wait”. I had been speaking to my Spiritual Director about what it meant to “wait on the Lord” and he encouraged me do just that and to simply “wait”. Attending a Confirmation service at my local parish, St John the Divine, Croydon early in May I had a conversation with Bishop Barbara Darling who suggested I send her my CV. Two days later she phoned me to ask if I was interested in doing a two week holiday locum at St Oswald’s Glen Iris which turned out to be for 9 months. I was only “unemployed” for two weeks!”
Following his time at St Oswald’s he undertook locums at the Parish of Darebin South (Thornbury, Northcote and Fairfield) twice, St John’s Lilydale (14 months), St Francis in the Fields Mooroolbark (4 months) as well as taking Sunday services in a number of parishes around the Diocese. Barry is married to Trish and they have 2 daughters, a son and 2 grandsons.
Fr Barry writes:
My regular days in the parish are on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays but I am available at other times if the need arises – 0421 903 390.
I feel privileged to be able to spend this time with you while your Incumbency Committee works hard to choose the right person to lead St George’s in the coming years.