Biography.guide
Home › People › Civil servant › Rolland Busch
Portrait of Rolland Busch

Rolland Busch

1920 – 1985

Australian minister

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

About Rolland Busch

Lived 1920 – 1985 (aged 64). Rolland Busch was a civil servant.

Rolland Busch, (26 October 1920 – 19 July 1985), also known as Rollie Busch, was an Australian theologian and Presbyterian and Uniting Church minister. He was the foundation principal of the Trinity Theological College in Brisbane from when it was formed in 1977 until 1985. He was president of the Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia from 1982 to 1985. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1978 Queens Birthday Honours and appointed Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 1984.

Early life Busch was born in an inner suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, on 26 October 1920. His father (Arthur Emil Busch) was a German migrant pork butcher, his mother Harriet (Nee Beck) had been born in Queensland. Busch grew up in Toowoomba, and got a job as a telegram boy at age 15 to help support the family during the Great Depression. National Medal Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 1984. Branch Chaplain to the Order of St John of Jerusalem Branch Chaplain to the Order of Saint Lazarus. President of the Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia from 1982 to 1985.

Aboriginal Rights Busch was a firm believer in Aboriginal Rights and in the right of self-determination for many Aboriginal settlements. His criticism was voiced against the Queensland government's denial of self-determination to the Aboriginal inhabitants of Aumkun and Mornington Island , pitting him against Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen on several occasions. The Uniting Church has continued their support of Aboriginal Rights in Australia.

Family On 14 August 1948 at St John's Church of England, Penshurst, Sydney, he married Evelyn Mavis Smith, a nurse whom he had met in New Guinea during the war. They had two children (Rhonda and Ian). Both Ian and Rhonda's Husband (Ray) have served on the boards of the UCA Queensland Synod and Wesley Hospital continuing his legacy. His grandchildren continue his plight through the different organisations the work in.

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
Occupation
Positions held
President of the Uniting Church in Australia
Awards
Officer of the Order of Australia; Officer of the Order of the British Empire

People in Rolland Busch's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Rolland Busch's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Rolland Busch?

Australian minister

When was Rolland Busch born?

Rolland Busch was born on 26 October 1920 in Windsor.

When did Rolland Busch die?

Rolland Busch died on 19 July 1985 in Sydney.

What was Rolland Busch's occupation?

Rolland Busch was a civil servant.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Rolland Busch

· Wikidata: Q19281769

· DBpedia: Rolland Busch

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Rolland Busch. https://biography.guide/rolland-busch/

MLA: "Rolland Busch." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/rolland-busch/.

Chicago: "Rolland Busch." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/rolland-busch/.

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

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:26 UTC