Biography.guide
Home › People › Martin Sullivan
Portrait of Martin Sullivan

Martin Sullivan

1910 – 1980

Dean of Christchurch, NZ and St Paul's, UK

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Martin Sullivan

Lived 1910 – 1980 (aged 70). Martin Sullivan was a New Zealand.

Martin Gloster Sullivan (30 March 1910 – 5 September 1980) was an Anglican dean from New Zealand.

He was born in Auckland and was educated at Auckland Grammar School and the University of Auckland. He was ordained in 1934 and began his career with a curacy at St Matthew's, Auckland. After that he held incumbencies at Grey Lynn and Te Awamutu. During the Second World War he was a Chaplain to the Forces, serving as Battalion Padre of the 22nd Battalion (New Zealand) and when peace returned Principal of College House, Christchurch. In 1950 he was appointed Dean of Christchurch and vicar-general (1951–1961). In 1953, Sullivan was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal.

Moving to London, Sullivan was appointed Rector of St Mary's, Bryanston Square in 1962, then Archdeacon of London the following year. In 1967 he became Dean of St Paul's, a post he held for a decade. An eminent author; amongst others he wrote Children Listen (1955), On Calvary’s Tree (1957), Approach With Joy (1961), A Dean Speaks to New Zealand (1962) and A Funny Thing Happened to me on the way to St Paul’s (1968). In 1965, he was made a Freeman of the City of London. In the 1979 Queen's Birthday Honours, Sullivan was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George.

He had married Doris Rosie Grant Cowen in 1934 (daughter of Canon Grant Cowen, she died 1972) and remarried Elizabeth Roberton in St Paul's Cathedral in 1973.

Sullivan died in 1980 at a function held by the Auckland University Rugby Club where he was a key guest speaker.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Auckland Grammar School, University of Auckland
Positions held
Dean of St Paul's
Awards
Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order; Honorary doctor of the University of Auckland
Also known as
Martin Gloster Sullivan

People in Martin Sullivan's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Martin Sullivan's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Martin Sullivan?

Dean of Christchurch, NZ and St Paul's, UK

When was Martin Sullivan born?

Martin Sullivan was born on 30 March 1910.

When did Martin Sullivan die?

Martin Sullivan died on 5 September 1980.

What nationality was Martin Sullivan?

Martin Sullivan was New Zealand.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Martin Sullivan

· Wikidata: Q6776698

· DBpedia: Martin Sullivan (priest)

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Martin Sullivan. https://biography.guide/martin-sullivan/

MLA: "Martin Sullivan." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/martin-sullivan/.

Chicago: "Martin Sullivan." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/martin-sullivan/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:25 UTC