Teacher, school principal, author, administrator and passionate advocate for education and Jesus, Dr Bryan Cowling, died on May 14 aged 79.

Born Bryan Stanley Cowling on April 30, 1947, he grew up in the suburbs of Newcastle and attended Newcastle Boys’ High School, where he helped establish an ISCF group. This was indicative of how his life would continue under God – in leadership and service. At university, he was president of the evangelical union, and at teachers’ college he led the Christian fellowship, in addition to receiving an academic prize.

The young Mr Cowling’s first job out of college was teaching history at Miller High School in southwestern Sydney, and during the holidays he ran history camps with Scripture Union. He was also heavily involved with the Australian Fellowship of Evangelical Students, serving for many years on the AFES national executive, including two terms as chairman.

Seconded to the NSW Department of Education, initially to write centenary histories of public schools, over time Mr Cowling undertook a number of other roles: State history consultant, inspector of schools, director of curriculum, director of vocational education and director of school education policy. He completed two master’s degrees and a doctorate and eventually became an Honorary Associate in the Faculty of Education, Arts and Social Work at the University of Sydney.

Speaking at Dr Cowling’s funeral, held at his long-time parish of St Luke’s, Liverpool, his daughter Heather said being an educator was not just a job for her father but a way he served God.

“A good father reflects something of God’s character: steadfast, faithful, gentle, wise, and that was my Dad,” she said. “He modelled what it meant to follow Jesus sincerely – not loudly or for recognition, but with humility and love.”

In 1999, Dr Cowling was appointed the foundation principal of Thomas Hassall Anglican College, serving there until 2007, when he became executive director of the Anglican Education Commission (AEC). At the same time, he served as a board member of the Anglican Schools Corporation and was a member of the diocesan Standing Committee from 2002 until he stepped down as head of the AEC in 2017.

In a statement, Thomas Hassall Anglican College thanked God for Dr Cowling’s life and faithful service, saying that “Those early years required faith, vision and a deep commitment to Christian education. Dr Cowling helped establish more than the foundations of our campus. He helped shape the character and Christian purpose of the college, setting a direction that continues to be seen in our community today.

“His place in our college story is also recognised through the Bryan Cowling Studies Centre… it is home to English and Drama and stands as a daily reminder of his contribution to the foundation and growth of the college.”

Dr Cowling was a lay representative from Sydney at two General Synods, and spent time as a member of the Campbelltown Anglican Schools council and the council of The Illawarra Grammar School. He also served St Luke’s Liverpool for many years as a Synod representative, nominator and safe ministry representative.

Before leading in prayer at the funeral, former Archbishop of Sydney, Glenn Davies, observed that Dr Cowling’s “intellectual calibre was extraordinary and yet he never wore his accolades on his sleeve, but it was his humility which was always abounding.”

“We’ve seen he was a man shaped by grace, a man who gave his life to learning; a man who enriched all of our lives so much. But his greatest achievement was accepting the gift of eternal life from his Lord and Saviour. He would put all these accolades to the dust to glory in Christ”.