Philip Palmer (priest)

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Philip Palmer (1799 – 21 May 1853) was an Anglican priest who served in Van Diemen's Land, now Tasmania. He was born in Landrake, Cornwall, and studied at Trinity College, Cambridge. He began as a curate at Langdon Hills, Essex, before moving to the colony in 1833, where he was placed in charge of Holy Trinity in North Hobart and St John’s in New Town. He also conducted services at the penitentiary and the hospital.

Archdeacon William Broughton limited his duties to correspondence to avoid friction with William Bedford, the man he had replaced as senior clergyman in the colony. Palmer later took Bedford’s seat on the Legislative Council, which angered Bedford. Bedford spread rumours about Palmer’s clerical conduct to Lieutenant Governor George Arthur. Arthur, while losing confidence in Bedford, still valued Palmer’s work. Palmer served on the Executive Council from 1834 to 1836.

When Archdeacon William Hutchins arrived in 1837, Palmer ceased to be rural dean. He was acting archdeacon from Hutchins’ death in 1841 until 1843, when Archdeacon Fitzherbert Marriott and Bishop Francis Nixon arrived. Palmer oversaw the construction of Holy Trinity Church, North Hobart, which was consecrated in 1849. He was also joint secretary of the British and Foreign Bible Society for eleven years. Palmer held strong evangelical views and opposed Nixon’s stance on ritualism.