William Greenwood

Individual, P101

Canon William Greenwood and Mrs Greenwood circa 1940

Biography

The Reverend Canon William Greenwood, rector of St. John's Launceston, 1933–1949

William Greenwood (1911 - 1962) was born in Liverpool, England, and was educated there. In 1911, at St. Mary’ s Parish Church, Wythall, Worcester, he married Mary Anne Martin. They came to Tasmania in 1912, when their first daughter was about three months old.
Mr. Greenwood was made a deacon in 1913, and priest in 1914, at St. David's Cathedral, Hobart.
His first appointment was as Assistant Curate at Forth and L even, 1913-1915, and he and his little family lived at Sprent. He was appointed Rector of Lilydale, 1915-1918, then Rector of Bothwell 1918 - 1922. The Greenwoods’ second daughter was born in the historic Rectory at Bothwell.
In 1923, Revd. Greenwood was appointed Rector of St. Aidan’ s Church Launceston until 1928. In 1926, the Greenwoods took twelve months leave of absence and returned to England. During this time Revd. Greenwood was Vicar of St. Andrews, Netherton, in the County of Worcester.
Late in 1928, he took the appointment of rector of the Church of St. John the Baptist, Hobart, 1928-1930. The next move was to Burnie to be rector of St. George' s Church 1930-1933, While there he was responsible for building St. David’ s Church, Cooee.
His final appointment was as Rector of St. John’ s Church, Launceston in 1933, until he retired in 1949.
In 1939, Revd. Greenwood was appointed a Canon of St. David’ s Cathedral, and on his retirement, the Bishop of Tasmania, Rt. Revd. C. F. Cranswick, created him Canon Emeritus.
During 1931-1933, Revd. Greenwood was Rural Dean of the North-West and Western Deanery, and from 1942 to 1949, he was Rural Dean of the North.
Canon and Mrs. Greenwood were very keen on sports and they helped to introduce badminton to Tasmania. In 1928, he was captain of St. Aidan’s team when it played a team from the Launceston Club. This was the first match ever held in Tasmania. In 1929, Mrs. Greenwood was the Southern Badminton Champion.
They also played tennis, and while he was at Lilydale, Bothwell, and St. Aidan’s, the Greenwoods were responsible for having a tennis court constructed at each place.
During Canon Greenwood’s time at all his parishes, he was responsible for the erection of many buildings amounting to over £12000, excluding the tennis courts.
At St. John’ s, Launceston, the nave of the church was extended upwards, by adding north and south clerestories and a new roof, and extended outwards by adding north and south ambulatories, at a total cost of more than £6000. The console of the organ was brought out of the organ chamber and placed of the floor of the chancel; a new brick fence was erected around the rectory; the first amplfying system was installed in the church; the carillon was purchased; and the mosaic reredos behind the altar was floodlit. The Church of England Men’s Society and a Younq People’s Fellowship were formed in  Canon Greenwood’s time at St. John’s.
The canon was a Past President of the Rotary Club of Launceston; vice-president of the Northern Soccer Assn; past Grand Chaplain of the Masonic Order; honorary probation officer of the Children’s Court in Launceston; Tasmanian president of the Church Missionary Society; vice president of the Church Missionary Society of London; deputy president of the British and Foreign Bible Society; a member of the board of management of Broadland House School; member of the Federal Council Of the Church Missionary Society; member of the Diocesan Council of Tasmania; captain of St Aidan’s badminton team and President of St. John’s Church tennis and badminton clubs.
In 1949, the Greenwoods retired to live at 63 Forest Road, Trevallyn in Launceston, Mr. Greenwood retiring on medical advice. They eventually moved to live in Sandringham, Victoria, in 1952, to be near their grandchildren, Vivien and Graham.
Canon Greenwood died at Sandringham on 18 September 1962, and Mrs. Greenwood died on 2 September 1976. They had two daughters, Mary Frances, born in the hamlet of Hollywood in Worcester; and Margaret Leslie, born at the Rectory at Bothwell Tasmania.
While at Sandringham, the Greenwoods took a keen interest in the Anglican parish Church of All Souls, and were closely connected with the establishment of a ‘daughter’ church near Green Parade where they lived. Their work was so much appreciated that a memorial prayer-desk has been placed in the chancel of the main parish church in Sandringham.
Source
Biography collected and written by the late Jenny Gill, circa 1980, and found in her research papers.
Related objects
Church of England Sunday School Teachers Association (creator)
cross in chapel sanctuary (contributor)
Online Sources
Trove (NLA) Advocate newspaper article 17 Feb 1933
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/68001641
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