Jane Barker - the first wife of Frederic Barker, Bishop of Sydney - has left an enduring legacy in Sydney through her pastoral ministry and establishment of a clergy daughters' school (now St Catherine's School, Waverley). Her diary gives insight into her commitment to the priority of the preached word of God and of a life lived in submission to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Now called Anglican Deaconess Ministries, the Deaconess Institution began 130 years ago when an Anglican Minister and his wife, Rev. Mervyn and Martha Archdall, set aside a quarter of his stipend for the equipping of Christian women. Listen to former Principal of Deaconess House, Narelle Jarrett, talk about the Institute's long history of training women for ministry.

Deaconess Margaret Rodgers AM (1939–2014) served as Principal of Deaconess House, the CEO of Anglican Media and the Archbishop’s Media Officer. Presented as the Donald Robinson Library Lectures in 2023, these essays provide the first scholarly assessment of Margaret’s life and work, and include a chapter on the history of the Deaconess Institute in Sydney.

Margaret Jessie Steel was born in Scotland in 1883 and emigrated to Australia in 1938, where she took up the post of Headmistress of the Sydney Church of England Girls’ Grammar School (SCEGGS) Moss Vale. In 1945, Moore Theological College appointed her matriculation tutor. Find out more about Margaret's life in this short article.

Deaconess Mary Andrews served as a missionary in China before her appointment as Principal of Deaconess House and Head Deaconess. Throughout her career and ministry she was a strong proponent of greater inclusion of women into church life. The Archives holds her extensive personal papers, including her diaries and travel notebooks.

Founded in 1938 as the Women's Inter-Church Council, Australian Church Women is an ecumenical women's ministry and advocacy organisation.