bishop=[[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Metr. Herman]], administratorn/a|

hq=[[Chancery office of the Orthodox Church in America|Syosset, New York State, USA]]|territory=Qld formerly Sydney and NSWBrisbane, Australia|

calendar=[[Revised Julian Calendar|Revised Julian]], [[Julian Calendar|Julian]]|

website=[http://oca.org/CAdioceseAUPDF/DOC-PUB/SB/2006/06.asp?SID=8 Parishes 13oca-australian.parishes.pdf Listing in Australia2006 Sourcebook & Church Directory]

Saint St Nicholas Parish in Bankstown, NSW, was formed in 1959 and worshipped in premises the parishioners built on land leased from NSW Government Railways. In 1971 , it was under the rectorship of [[Archimandrite ]] [[Veniamin (Garshin)]] who had resigned as dean of the ROCOR Cathedral in Sydney and departed from that [[jurisdiction]]. At that time they petitioned OCA for their acceptance under the [[omophorion ]] of the OCA Metropolitan. Their petition was quickly granted.  A second [[parish]] in Brisbane, Holy Annunciation Church, was formed under the rectorship of Fr. [[Gregory Malisheff]] and, following the example of the Bankstown parish, petitioned the OCA and was also quickly accepted. In 1977, a third group, later named the Australian Orthodox Fraternity of St Michael, was formed in metropolitan Sydney for the purpose of purchasing and organising another parish, under the rectorship of Fr [[Michael Mersher]]. In November of that year, Mr Verjbitsky contacted the Uniting Church and was offered a surplus Presbyterian church in Homebush. The building was made suitable for Orthodox worship, including an [[iconostasis]], on [[January 26]], 1978. Fr Michael was the [[rector]] from 1978-80, Fr [[Theodore Michaluk]] from 1980-86, Fr Leopold in 1986, and Fr [[Igor Chlabicz]] from 1987.

A second parish Following the repose of Archimandrite Veniamin in Brisbane1994, Holy Annunciation the Orthodox Church, in America was formed under unable to supply a replacement [[priest]] for the rectorship Bankstown parish. The parish council of St. Nicholas approached Bishop [[Gibran (Ramlawey) of Australia and New Zealand|Gibran]], then Antiochian Orthodox Bishop for Australia and New Zealand, and asked if he was able to supply a [[priest]] who could celebrate in Slavonic. Hieromonk [[Andrew (Vujisic)|Andrija (Zoran Vujisić)]] and, later, Fr [[Nicholas Gan]] assisted on a temporary basis until Fr [[Gregory MalisheffMitko Machevski]] commenced services at St. Nicholas on [[August 10]] , 1996. The parish later formally changed jurisdictions to the [[Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia and following the example New Zealand]]. Fr. Mitko was appointed rector of the Bankstown parish petitioned OCA , which continues to use Church Slavonic and was also quickly acceptedfollow the [[Julian Calendar]].

In 1977 a third groupBrisbane, later named the Australian Holy Annunciation Orthodox Fraternity of St Michael, was formed in Sydney for the purpose of purchasing and organising another parish, under the rectorship of Church found itself without a rector after Fr [[Michael MersherIan Bojko]]retired in 2005. In November of that year2009, Mr Verjbitsky contacted the Uniting Church and was offered a surplus Presbyterian church in Homebush. The building was made suitable for Orthodox worship, including an iconostasis, on parish requested permission to enter the ROCOR [[January 26Diocese of Australia and New Zealand (ROCOR)|Diocese of Australia and New Zealand]], 1978. Fr Michael as an English-language parish; this was accomplished by the rector from 1978-80, Fr mutual consensus of Metropolitans [[Theodore MichalukJonah (Paffhausen) of Washington|Jonah]] from 1980-86, Fr Leopold in 1986, and Fr [[Igor ChlabiczHilarion (Kapral) of New York|Hilarion]] from 1987 to and the presenttransfer was finalised in May 2009.

Following After the repose rectorate of ArchimFr. Veniamin in 1994Igor Chlabicz, the Australian Orthodox Church in America Fraternity of St. Michael was unable to supply served by Rev. Fr. [[John Vesic]], a replacement priest for of the Bankstown parish[[Serbian Orthodox Church in Australia and New Zealand|Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand]]. The In March 2011, the parish council received the blessing of Metropolitan Jonah of Saint Nicholas approached the Antiochian OCA to join the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand, with Bishop [[Gibran Irinej (RamlaweyDobrijevic) of Australia and New Zealand|GibranIrinej of Sydney]] and asked if he was able to supply placing a priest who could celebrate new antimens in Slavonicthe church on Forgiveness Sunday, 2011. Hieromonk [[Andrija (Vujisic)|Andrija (Zoran) Vujisić]] This parish is also designated an English-language parish - at the time of its transfer, the only one in the Serbian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Australia and later Fr [[Nicholas Gan]] assisted on a temporary basis until Fr [[Mitko Machevski]] was appointed and commenced services at St Nicholas on 10 August 1996New Zealand.

==Current status of parishes==The parish later formally changed jurisdictions to the [[Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese of OCA Parishes in Australia and New Zealand]]. Fr Mitko was appointed rector of the parishis now a defunct administrative grouping, which continues having existed from 1971 to use Church Slavonic and follow the [[Julian Calendar]]2011.

==Organisation==The following parishes, who originally formed the grouping, moved to:The OCA Parishes *St Nicholas Orthodox Church, Bankstown, New South Wales; now in the [[Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of Australia is an administrative grouping of two churches, New Zealand and the Philippines]].*Holy Annunciation Orthodox Church, Woolloongabba, Queensland; now in the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia - [[Diocese of Australia and New Zealand (ROCOR)|Diocese of Australia and New Zealand]].*St. Michael Orthodox Church, Homebush, New South Wales; now in the [[Serbian Orthodox Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand]].

== The Episcopacy =====Current Episcopacy===* Metropolitan [[Herman (Swaiko) final OCA presence in Australia concluded with the repose of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko)]] of Washington and New York, administrator of the parishes Fr Ian Bojko in AustraliaJan 2013.

===Previous Bishops=Episcopacy ==* His Eminence [[Sylvester (Haruns) of Montreal|Sylvester (Haruns)]], Archbishop of Montreal and Canada; administrator of the parishes in Australia, 19631972-1981.* His Beatitude [[Theodosius (Lazor) of Washington|Theodosius (Lazor)]], Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada; administrator of the parishes in Australia, 19721981-2002.* His Beatitude [[Herman (Swaiko) of Washington and New York|Herman (Swaiko)]], Archbishop of Washington and New York, Metropolitan of All America and Canada; administrator of the parishes in Australia, 2002-2008.* His Beatitude [[Jonah (Paffhausen) of Washington|Jonah (Paffhausen)]], Archbishop of Washington, Metropolitan of All America and Canada; administrator of the parishes in Austraila, 2008-19812011.

* [httphttps://ha-ocawww.stmichaelshomebush.faithweborg.comau/ Holy Annunciation Orthodox ChurchSt Michael's, Homebush] (the church in Woolloongabbapreviously, Brisbane, QueenslandAustralian Orthodox Fraternity of St Michael)* [http://www.antiochianantiochianarch.org.au/SaintNicholasBankstown/ NSW.aspx#nsw007 Parish listing for Antiochian Orthodox Church of Saint Nicholas , Bankstown] (the former parish in this grouping)* [http://www.holyannunciation.net Holy Annunciation Orthodox Church]* [http://www.spc.rs/sr/nova_parohija_spc_u_sidneju "New Parish of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Sydney"]