A report leaked in The Canberra Times has revealed five nominees for bishop of Canberra and Goulburn, and the list includes one current and one former Sydney Anglican.

The rector of St Paul’s Chatswood and the National Mission Facilitator of the Anglican Church of Australia, the Rev Stuart Robinson, is the only nominee of the five with no formal links to the Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn.

Although Canberra and Goulburn diocesan registrar Tracey Matthews says the official diocesan position was that that they would not be releasing the names of the candidates to anyone except diocesan synod members, The Canberra Times published a report on September 8 listing the five nominees.

Also in the running is a former Sydney Anglican minister and current rector of the Parish of St Matthew’s, Wanniassa and assistant Bishop of Canberra and Goulburn Trevor Edwards.

Nominee Archdeacon Sarah Macneil, who is the rector of the Parish of All Saints’, Ainslie, would be the first female bishop of an Australian diocese if elected.

The other two nominees in the running to be the tenth bishop of Canberra and Goulburn are Assistant Bishop and Vicar-General of the diocese, Allan Ewing and an assistant bishop in the Diocese of Brisbane, John Parkes.

The Synod of the diocese will meet in Goulburn from October 31 to elect the replacement for Bishop George Browning, who formally retired in August.