Reverend Bradley worked at Mont Park and Larundel in the early 1960s. He was widely admired.

While at these hospitals he learned of a Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program available in USA and went to train in CPE in the USA in 1964-1965, on a Fulbright scholarship. He came back and founded the Australia and New Zealand CPE at the Austin Hospital in Heidelberg, Victoria in 1967. Rev Drew Lelean (See, Reverend Drew Lelean – staff member at Larundel Mental Hospital | Mont Park to Springthorpe ) and other chaplains were trained by Roy in the 1970s. Roy went on to train people in this important work in Perth Darwin, Hobart, Ballarat, Albury and Warrnambool.

CPE practitioners aim to observe, understand and then help clients in hospitals, prisons and those who are ageing either in care, or at home. The aims are to provide practical support and information to relieve people’s anxiety and stress.

Family Life

Roy Algernon Bradley (b.1926) grew up in Box Hill attending Box Hill High School from 1937 – 1944. He was commonly known then as ‘Algy’. He enlisted in the Air Training Corp at the age of just 16 years in 1942 in a bid to join his brother ‘Jim’ in WWII. Roy was the youngest son of Harry Powell Bradley and Jessie Campbell Victoria (nee Cummins), and he had three brothers and three sisters. Roy had many relatives and cousins (some of whom were also called Jessie, Harry or Roy).

Study and Work

After serving in the RAAF for a short time towards the end of 1944 and in 1945, he studied at the University of Melbourne and Trinity College and was ordained as an Anglican priest in 1952, working at first in Horsham. He married Margaret Godbehear in 1953. He then transferred to Mont Park Psychiatric Hospital and in 1967 began training chaplains in CPE so they could work in hospitals. Margaret and Roy had four children.

Rev. Roy Bradley and his family moved to Perth (1975-1982), and he then returned to Avalon (1982 -1987) serving as an Anglican Minister in the Lara community west of Melbourne.

He found himself retiring in 1992 after a life in community pastoralism and healthcare.

He was awarded an OAM in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2009, for service to the community through the development of healthcare chaplaincy and pastoral education centres.

Clinical Pastoral Education

The Austin Hospital CPE Program continued for 30 years from 1967, supported by Rev Drew Lelean and admired by Dr Cunningham Dax  ( See, Dr Eric Cunningham Dax | Mont Park to Springthorpe )

One anecdote which illustrates Rev. Roy Bradley’s insight into mental health care was reported by Cheryl Holmes:

‘Roy was a member of the interdisciplinary team in the psych ward and involved in a case conference about this particular patient who had been in their care, and they were talking about a piece of artwork that this patient had done. It was very, very sombre and bleak. It was a tree, it looked like a dead tree, and they’d all been talking about how difficult it was and Roy Bradley was the one who had picked up on one extreme and very tiny point, there was a green shoot and that changed the whole understanding and picture of what might be happening. So that was a very important encouraging story. How things can change if people are aware of what might be happening in someone’s spirit.’ (Interview conducted by Cheryl G. Holmes in research for her PhD ‘Shaping the Future of Spiritual Care in Australian Public Hospitals: Learning from the Story of Spiritual Health Victoria’ (2023) (See, 4.-EC-Dax-contribution-to-SC-in-Vic-pdf.pdf)

Roy was warm-hearted, wise and a very special leader. His chaplaincy is remembered with fondness and respect.

Roy was still meeting with colleagues in the weeks preceding his death in 2017 at the age of 91 years.

In 2019 a book was published to recognise Roy’s life and work in pastoral care. Also starting from 2019, Roy has been remembered via the annual Roy Bradley Oration on contemporary community care issues.

Complied by Kathy Andrewartha (2025)

 

Resources:

‘A brief history of Mental Health Spiritual Care in Victoria. The contribution of Dr E. Cunningham Dax’ (1908-2008), – 4.-EC-Dax-contribution-to-SC-in-Vic-pdf.pdf

Gillian Henderson – ‘To Honour Roy Bradley’, – roy.pdf

Roy Bradley Tributes from CPE, – Roy Bradley – Tributes – ANZACPE

Vale Roy Algernon Bradley OAM,  – Roy Bradley Appreciatian