Penelope Ann Bansall JamiesonDCNZM (néeAllen; born 21 June 1942) is a retired Anglican bishop. She was the seventh Bishop of Dunedin in the Anglican Church of New Zealand from 1989 until her retirement in 2004. Jamieson was the second woman in the world, after Barbara Harris,[1] to hold the position of bishop in the Anglican Communion and the first to be elected a diocesan bishop.[2][3]
In 1990 she was elected to head the country's southernmost diocese, the Diocese of Dunedin. She was consecrated a bishop on 29 June 1990.[7] She spoke publicly about the difficulties of being the world's first woman diocesan bishop.[8] For instance, her ordination as bishop was not attended by the Anglican Bishop of Aotearoa (Whakahuihui Vercoe) and the Catholic Bishop of Dunedin, (Leonard Boyle).[6]
On 15 March 2004 she announced her retirement.[9] At her retirement, after 14 years as Bishop of Dunedin, Jamieson expressed her regret that no other woman had been elected a bishop in New Zealand.[2]
Personal life
She is married to Ian Jamieson, an academic specialising in Scottish and medieval English literature.[10]