Rev. Dr Graeme Pender has been committed to working in public service for over 40 years; firstly, as a member of Victoria Police Force for 16 years, and secondly, as a Catholic secondary school teacher for 27 years. In 2018, Graeme was awarded the Victoria Police Star for bravery, and the National Police Service Medal and Victoria Police Service Medal for ethical and diligent service. In his spare time, he plays clarinet around the Melbourne traditional jazz scene.
In the late 1990’s Graeme began his theological studies at Catholic Theological College and successfully completed a Bachelor of Theology, majoring in Church History and Spirituality. He successfully attained a Master of Theology by research, and later completed a Doctorate in Theology in 2016 researching The Life and Contribution of Bishop Charles Henry Davis, osb (1815-1854) to the Catholic Church in Australia. Graeme is a member of the Victorian Chapter, Australian Catholic Historical Society, and has been associated with Yarra Theological Union over the past few years as an itinerant lecturer in Australian Church History.
In 2015, he was ordained by Archbishop Denis Hart to the permanent diaconate and is currently serving at St Kevin’s Hampton Park on a part-time basis.
Peer refereed journal articles
“Improvisatory Musical Practices in Australia’s Colonial Church of England.” Journal of the Royal Australian Historical Society93, Part 1 (June 2007): 77-93.
“Improvisatory Musical Practices in Nineteenth Century Melbourne Roman Catholic Churches.” Australasian Catholic Record86, No. 3 (July 2009): 297-313.
“The life and contribution of Bishop Charles Henry Davis OSB (1815–1854) to the Catholic Church in Australia.” Journal of the Australian Catholic HistoricalSociety39 (2019): 29-44.
“Bishop Charles Davis’ Musical Contribution to the Early Australian Catholic Church.” Australasian Catholic Record97, No. 2 (May 2019): 166-177.
Other publications
“Bishop Charles Henry Davis OSB, 1815–1854.” Kairos Catholic Journal25, No. 22 (November 2014).
“The life and contribution of Bishop Charles Henry Davis, osb (1815-1854) to the Catholic Church in Australia.” PhD Diss., University of Divinity, Melbourne, 2016.