Father Clarence David Anderson

Early Life and Ministry

Father Clarence David Anderson, commonly known as Father David Anderson, was born in New South Wales around 1939.

He trained for the priesthood in the Catholic Diocese of Lismore and was ordained during the 1960s.

His ministry included appointments at parishes on the New South Wales north coast, including Macksville, Nambucca Heads, and Tweed Heads.

Outside his parish work, Anderson was an enthusiastic surfer. Former victims have alleged that he used surfing trips and other recreational activities to establish relationships with boys and gain opportunities to abuse them.

Alleged Abuse in the 1960s

Former victims have alleged that Father Anderson sexually abused a number of boys during the mid to late 1960s.

Several of the complainants came from families in which the father had died or was otherwise absent. According to the victims, Anderson cultivated close relationships with these families by presenting himself as a trusted priest and mentor.

Macksville and Nambucca Heads

One group of complaints involved two brothers who encountered Anderson while he was serving in the Macksville parish, including Nambucca Heads, between approximately 1966 and 1968.

Their father had died, and their mother welcomed the priest into the family as a trusted adult and positive male influence.

According to the brothers, Anderson took each boy surfing separately and allegedly began sexually abusing them during these outings. Neither brother knew at the time that the other was also being abused.

One of the brothers later died in a motor vehicle accident in 1981. Another possible victim is also believed to have died by suicide.

Tweed Heads

Another family has alleged abuse while Anderson was serving in the Tweed Heads parish in 1969.

The family consisted of a widowed mother raising three children without their father's support.

One of the brothers later recalled regularly attending Mass at Nambucca Heads, where he would first go to confession before later being sexually abused by Father Anderson on the same day.

According to the family, their mother was a devoted Catholic who trusted Anderson to provide guidance and support to her children.

Leaving the Priesthood

Father Anderson left the priesthood in 1970.

He later married, settled in Queensland, and raised a family.

He died in 1996, before allegations against him became known to police.

Police and Church Complaints

Around 2000, former victims began coming forward.

One former victim provided a formal statement to police outlining allegations of sexual abuse committed by Anderson during the 1960s. Because Anderson had already died, no criminal prosecution could be commenced.

The same victim later made a complaint to Church authorities.

In 2003, a senior representative of the Diocese interviewed the victim and his mother. According to the family, they were told this was the first and only complaint the Diocese had received concerning Father Anderson.

Compensation Claims

During the early 2000s, a number of former victims sought compensation from the Catholic Church.

One of those claimants had himself become a Catholic priest.

It is believed this was the first known case in Australia in which a serving Catholic priest sought compensation from the Church as a survivor of child sexual abuse committed by another Catholic priest.

Legacy

Because Father Clarence David Anderson died in 1996, the allegations against him were never tested in a criminal court.

Nevertheless, former victims have publicly described the profound and lifelong effects of the abuse they allege they suffered, including lasting psychological trauma, family disruption and, in some cases, tragic consequences for victims and their families.

His case also illustrates a recurring pattern identified in many historical child sexual abuse cases within religious institutions, where offenders are alleged to have targeted vulnerable children from fatherless or otherwise disadvantaged families and used positions of trust within the Church to gain access to them.