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The '''Serbian Orthodox Church in Australia and New Zealand''', headquartered in Canberra, ACT, and Elaine, VIC, is the descriptive term of two parallel dioceses in Australia and New Zealand: the Patriarchal ''Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand''; and the ''Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand, New Gracanica Metropolitanate''. The joint see will be, until October 2006, headed by [[Milutin (Knezevic) of Valjevo|Milutin (Knezevic)]], but at . At the May 2006 Holy Synod, Hieromonk [[Irinej (Dobrijevic) of Australia and New Zealand|Irinej (Dobrijevic)]], was appointed to head the Patriarchal diocese, and administer the New Gracanica diocese.

Prior to 1992, the Serbian Orthodox in Australia and New Zealand were under two seperate dioceses: the schismatic (until 1992) Free Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand, administered firstly by a Metropolitan metropolitan who resided at New Gracanica Monastery, Illinois, USA, and then by a local bishop who resided at [[Monastery of New Kalenic (Canberra, Australian Capital Territory)|St. Sava's Monastery (New Kalenic)]], Canberra, ACT, and the larger Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Australia and New Zealand, which was within the [[Church of Serbia]] and presided over by a bishop resident at [[Monastery of St. Sava (Elaine, Victoria)|St. Sava's Monastery]], Elaine, Victoria.

In 1992, an acceptance by the [[Church of Serbia]] of the schismatic group on the condition of altering their 'Free' name to 'New Gracanica Metropolitanate' meant that there were now two directly overlapping dioceses in Australia and New Zealand, which were administered by two bishops, one each in Elaine and Canberra. In 2000, Bishop [[Nikanor (Bogunovic) of Banat|Nicanor]] became the first sole bishop in Australia and New Zealand, being appointed reigning bishop of the New Gracanica Diocese and also administrator of the patriarchal diocese. In 2003 Bishop Milutin was appointed bishop of the New Gracanica diocese and administrator of the much smaller patriarchal diocese.