# List of Roman Catholic archbishops of Sydney

This is a list of the bishops and archbishops of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney since 1842. The title also is the Catholic Primate of Australia.

## List of bishops

| Order | Name | Title | Date enthroned | Reign ended | Term of office | Reason for term end | Notes |
| 1 | John Bede Polding, OSB | Bishop of Sydney | 5 April 1842 | 22 April 1842 | 17 days | Elevated to Archbishop of Sydney | |

## List of archbishops

| Order | Name | Title | Date enthroned | Reign ended | Term of office | Reason for term end |
| 1 | John Bede Polding, OSB | Archbishop of Sydney | 22 April 1842 | 16 March 1877 | 34 years, 328 days | Died in office |
| 2 | Roger Bede Vaughan, OSB | Coadjutor Archbishop of Sydney | 28 February 1873 | 16 March 1877 | 4 years, 16 days | Elevated to Archbishop of Sydney |
| 2 | Roger Bede Vaughan, OSB | Archbishop of Sydney | 16 March 1877 | 17 August 1883 | 6 years, 154 days | Died in office |
| 3 | Patrick Cardinal Moran | Archbishop of Sydney | 14 March 1884 | 17 August 1911 | 27 years, 156 days | Died in office |
| 3 | Patrick Cardinal Moran | Cardinal-Priest of Santa Susanna | 27 July 1885 | 17 August 1911 | 26 years, 21 days | Died in office |
| 4 | Michael Kelly | Coadjutor Archbishop of Sydney | 16 July 1901 | 17 August 1911 | 10 years, 32 days | Elevated to Archbishop of Sydney |
| 4 | Michael Kelly | Archbishop of Sydney | 17 August 1911 | 8 March 1940 | 28 years, 204 days | Died in office |
| 5 | Sir Norman Cardinal Gilroy, KBE | Coadjutor Archbishop of Sydney | 1 July 1937 | 8 March 1940 | 2 years, 251 days | Elevated to Archbishop of Sydney |
| 5 | Sir Norman Cardinal Gilroy, KBE | Archbishop of Sydney | 8 March 1940 | 9 July 1971 | 31 years, 123 days | Retired as Archbishop Emeritus of Sydney |
| 5 | Sir Norman Cardinal Gilroy, KBE | Cardinal-Priest of Santi Quattro Coronati | 18 February 1946 | 21 October 1977 | 31 years, 245 days | Died in office |
| 6 | Sir James Cardinal Freeman, KBE | Archbishop of Sydney | 9 July 1971 | 12 February 1983 | 11 years, 218 days | Retired as Archbishop Emeritus of Sydney |
| 6 | Sir James Cardinal Freeman, KBE | Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria Regina Pacis in Ostia mare | 5 March 1973 | 16 March 1991 | 18 years, 11 days | Died in office |
| 7 | Edward Cardinal Clancy, AC | Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney | 25 October 1973 | 24 Nov 1978 | 3 years, 30 days | Elevated to Archbishop of Canberra (and Goulburn) |
| 7 | Edward Cardinal Clancy, AC | Archbishop of Sydney | 12 February 1983 | 26 March 2001 | 18 years, 42 days | Retired as Archbishop Emeritus of Sydney |
| 7 | Edward Cardinal Clancy, AC | Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria in Vallicella | 28 June 1988 | 3 August 2014 | 26 years, 36 days | Died in office |
| 8 | George Cardinal Pell, AC | Archbishop of Sydney | 26 March 2001 | 24 February 2014 | 12 years, 335 days | Elevated to Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy |
| 8 | George Cardinal Pell, AC | Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria Domenica Mazzarello | 21 October 2003 | 10 January 2023 | 19 years, 81 days | |
| 9 | Anthony Fisher, OP | Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney | 3 September 2003 | 4 March 2010 | 6 years, 182 days | Elevated to Bishop of Parramatta |
| 9 | Anthony Fisher, OP | Bishop of Parramatta | 4 March 2010 | 12 November 2014 | 4 years, 253 days | Elevated to Archbishop of Sydney |
| 9 | Anthony Fisher, OP | Archbishop of Sydney | 12 November 2014 | present | 3708 days | |

## Auxiliary bishops

| Order | Name | Title | Date enthroned | Reign ended | Term of office | Reason for term end |
| 1 | Joseph Higgins | Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney | 11 September 1888 | 4 May 1899 | 10 years, 235 days | Elevated to Bishop of Rockhampton |
| 2 | Michael Sheehan | Coadjutor Archbishop of Sydney | 22 February 1922 | 1 July 1937 | 15 years, 129 days | Retired as Coadjutor Archbishop Emeritus of Sydney |
| 2 | Michael Sheehan | Coadjutor Archbishop Emeritus of Sydney | 1 July 1937 | 1 March 1945 | 7 years, 243 days | Died in office |
| 3 | Eris O'Brien | Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney | 5 February 1948 | 16 November 1953 | 5 years, 284 days | Elevated to Archbishop of Canberra (and Goulburn) |
| 4 | Patrick Lyons | Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney | 8 March 1950 | 11 October 1956 | 6 years, 217 days | Elevated to Coadjutor Bishop of Sale |
| 5 | James Patrick Carroll | Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney | 6 January 1954 | 23 July 1984 | 30 years, 199 days | Retired as Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Sydney |
| 5 | James Patrick Carroll | Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Sydney | 23 July 1984 | 14 January 1995 | 10 years, 175 days | Died in office |
| 6 | James Darcy Freeman (later Sir James Cardinal Freeman, KBE) | Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney | 9 December 1956 | 18 October 1968 | 11 years, 314 days | Elevated to Bishop of Armidale |
| 7 | Thomas William Muldoon | Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney | 1 March 1960 | 6 September 1982 | 22 years, 189 days | Retired as Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Sydney |
| 7 | Thomas William Muldoon | Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Sydney | 6 September 1982 | 13 January 1986 | 3 years, 129 days | Died in office |
| 8 | Edward Francis Kelly, MSC | Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney | 6 February 1969 | 19 December 1975 | 6 years, 316 days | Elevated to Bishop of Toowoomba |
| 9 | Edward Bede Clancy (later Edward Cardinal Clancy, AC) | Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney | 23 October 1973 | 24 November 1978 | 5 years, 32 days | Elevated to Archbishop of Canberra (and Goulburn) |
| 10 | David Cremin | Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney | 25 October 1973 | 22 February 2005 | 31 years, 120 days | Retired as Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Sydney |
| 10 | David Cremin | Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Sydney | 22 February 2005 | present | 19 years, 319 days | incumbent |
| 11 | Bede Vincent Heather | Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney | 23 October 1973 | 24 November 1978 | 5 years, 32 days | Elevated to Bishop of Parramatta |
| 12 | John Edward Heaps | Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney | 4 September 1981 | 12 March 1992 | 10 years, 190 days | Retired as Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Sydney |
| 12 | John Edward Heaps | Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Sydney | 12 March 1992 | 21 June 2004 | 12 years, 101 days | Died in office |
| 13 | Patrick Laurence Murphy | Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney | 20 December 1976 | 8 April 1986 | 9 years, 109 days | Elevated to Bishop of Broken Bay |
| 14 | Geoffrey Robinson | Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney | 23 January 1984 | 15 July 2004 | 20 years, 174 days | Retired as Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Sydney |
| 14 | Geoffrey Robinson | Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Sydney | 15 July 2004 | 29 December 2020 | 20 years, 175 days | Died in office |
| 15 | Peter Ingham | Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney | 24 May 1993 | 8 April 1986 | 8 years, 13 days | Elevated to Bishop of Wollongong |
| 16 | Julian Porteous | Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney | 16 July 2003 | 19 July 2013 | 10 years, 3 days | Elevated to Archbishop of Hobart |
| 17 | Anthony Fisher, OP | Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney | 3 September 2003 | 4 March 2010 | 6 years, 182 days | Elevated to Bishop of Parramatta |
| 18 | Terry Brady | Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney | 4 October 2007 | 10 October 2022 | 15 years, 6 days | Retired as Auxiliary Bishop emeritus of Sydney |
| 19 | Peter Comensoli | Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney | 20 April 2011 | 27 February 2014 | 2 years, 313 days | Elevated to Apostolic Administrator of Sydney |
| 19 | Peter Comensoli | Apostolic Administrator of Sydney | 27 February 2014 | 20 November 2014 | 266 days | Elevated to Bishop of Broken Bay |
| 20 | Anthony Randazzo | Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney | 24 August 2016 | 7 October 2019 | 3 years, 13 days | Elevated to Bishop of Broken Bay |
| 21 | Richard Umbers | Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney | 24 August 2016 | present | 8 years, 104 days | incumbent |