Canon Barbara Darling was appointed assistant bishop in Melbourne Diocese on April 25, two weeks after the announcement that Kay Goldsworthy had become Australia's first woman bishop.

A spokesperson for Melbourne Diocese said the former Ridley College lecturer is considered an evangelical.

Moore College graduate David Ould wrote on the website Stand Firm that the move adds a new dimension to the "deep sadness' felt by many reformed evangelicals.

"What is shocking about this is that, unlike Perth, Melbourne has a very broad spectrum of views within it. Rather than a move that will alienate other dioceses, this is something that will cause further division," he said.