 As metropolitan of Australia he was also concerned with the establishment of dioceses at Perth (1856), Brisbane (1859), Grafton and Armidale (1866), Ballarat (1875), and North Queensland (1878).In 1863 Barker visited England where he succeeded in raising a considerable sum of money for the prosecution of the work of his church, and gave many addresses on Australia in different parts of England.The first synod of the diocese of Sydney met in December 1866, and dealt with many issues such as the relations of the Church in Australia with the Church in England, and the framing of a constitution for the cathedral.