Biography: Caulton, The Rt Revd Sydney Gethin Contact Us Sign Up Home

Available Now

JOIE CD Cover

Organ music from Holy Trinity Cathedral,
played by
Eugene Lavery,
Assistant Organist

Click here

The Rt Revd Sydney Gethin Caulton, MA, BD.

Born 24th August 1895 - died after 1969

Dean of Auckland 1946 -1948
Bishop of Melanesia 1948 - 1953
Assistant Bishop of Auckland 1955 - 1964


Dean Caulton was a friendly, cheerful, hard working priest with an infectious smile and almost saintly demeanour. Despite his short time at St Mary's Cathedral Church, his work as Dean of Auckland and pastor to his parish were most highly regarded. His installation as Bishop was greeted with both joy and sadness by the Parish.


A graduate of St. Chad's College, Durham, he gained his B.A. in 1911 and his M.A. in 1918, his education interrupted by war service. He was granted a Batchelor of Divinity in 1928.

Ordained Deacon in Liverpool in 1922 and Priest in 1923, he remained Curate at St Dunstan's Church, Edge Hill, Liverpool until 1929, when he became a missionary in the Diocese of Melanesia. In 1933 he married Beryl Guylee, a missionary nurse.


He arrived in New Zealand in 1937, with his wife and son, to become Vicar of Whakatane, and in 1943, Vicar of St Peter's, Onehunga. He was inducted Vicar of St Mary's, and installed as Dean of Auckland in February 1946.


On 2nd February 1948 the Dean was consecrated  Bishop of Melanesia in the Cathedral Church of St Mary, and based himself in the New Hebrides (now Vanuatu). He resigned the See in 1953, returning to become Vicar of Northcote until 1957, then Vicar of St George's Church, Epsom until 1964. In 1955 he became the Assistant Bishop of Auckland.


He was Assistant Bishop of Southwark, England, from 1964 - 1968 before retiring in Auckland. The last record available shows that he was residing in Rothesay Bay in 1969, but no further information is available.



[Previous Dean][Vicars & Deans of Auckland][Next Dean]