The Very Rev'd Dr Sarah Macneil

Former Dean, St Peter's Cathedral (Dean July 2009 to July 2011

Sarah Macneil came to this position from the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn where she had been Rector of All Saints’ parish in Ainslie and Diocesan Archdeacon.

Sarah was born in Tasmania. After studying Arts at the University of Tasmania, where she was awarded a First Class Honours Degree in French, she moved to Canberra to join the Department of Foreign Affairs. She spent several years on posting in Stockholm and then moved to the Department of Trade where she worked as a policy officer. This period included some time doing postgraduate study in public administration at the French National School of Administration in Paris.

Her years working and studying overseas were important parts of her faith journey and led to a growing awareness of a vocation to ordained ministry. She undertook theological studies at St Mark’s National Theological Centre and was ordained deacon in 1993 and priest in 1994. Over the last 15 years she has worked in a variety of positions in the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn: in parish ministry, as a school chaplain and at diocesan level. She has an abiding interest in Anglican ecclesiology and was awarded her PhD for a thesis on the nexus between Anglican identity and governance.

Sarah is married to Ian Chaplin (also an Anglican priest) and has two (adult) stepchildren and a son, Ben, who is studying engineering at ANU. Ian and Sarah both enjoy music, gardening, reading and walking and are enjoying exploring the delights of Adelaide and its surrounding region.