Archbishop Riley addressing a crowd as 'Chaplain-General to the AIF'
Riley arrived in Western Australia on 3 February 1895.[1] He led the church's efforts to take over Guildford Grammar School, but frequently came into conflict with Percy Henn, the school's headmaster.[1] He was also noted for his close association with Sir John Winthrop Hackett in working for the establishment of the University of Western Australia.[1] He became senior chaplain of the Australian Military Forces in Western Australia and chaplain-general in 1913. Riley toured the UK, France & Egypt for 3½ months in late 1916 early 1917 enquiring into the administration of each theatre's Chaplain's Dept, returning to Australia in February 1917.[5]
Riley was active in freemasonry, in both English and Australian jurisdictions. In 1897 in the United Grand Lodge of England he was granted the honorific rank of Past Grand Chaplain in recognition of his services to English Freemasonry, as part of a series of similar honorary promotions intended to mark the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria.[6] In Australian Freemasonry he is particularly notable as the longest serving Grand Master of the Western Australian Grand Lodge. He held this position from 1904 until his death, with the exception of a three-year term (1917–1920) by Sir William Ellison-Macartney.[1]
↑AWM B2455, C.O.L Riley's Service Record, Canberra
↑Horsley (The Rev'd Canon), JW (1906). "Notes on the Grand Chaplains of England". Ars Quatuor Coronatorum. Vol.19. London: Quatuor Coronati Correspondence Circle Ltd. p.195.
Kimberly, W.B. (compiler) (1897). History of West Australia. A Narrative of her Past. Together With Biographies of Her Leading Men. Melbourne: F.W. Niven.
