The Anglican Church has elected its first female Archbishop, the Right Reverend Kay Goldsworthy AO, to lead the West Australian division.

The Archbishop-elect became the first female Anglican bishop in Australia in 2008, when she was appointed assistant bishop of Perth.

Currently working as the Bishop of Gippsland, in Victoria, Bishop Goldsworthy will return to WA to take up her new position next year.

Formerly a chaplain of Perth Anglican girls' school, Perth College, Bishop Goldsworthy was ordained a deacon in 1986 and joined the priesthood in 1992.

Her election follows an eight-month selection process by the Church, following the departure of former archbishop Roger Herft in December.

Reverend Herft stood down after giving evidence to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, saying he had badly "let down" survivors in the Diocese of Newcastle, where he served between 1993 and 2005.

Bishop Goldsworthy said she hoped her election as Archbishop would inspire other women in the Church to seek leadership roles.

"In all sorts of ways, I think what it says is that for most ... people and places in the Church in Australia, the issue of women's leadership is really no longer an issue," she told the ABC.

Church's reputation at stake: Bishop

On the issue of the royal commission, Bishop Goldsworthy said the Anglican Church and other denominations had lost the trust of the community at a national level.

"Our reputation is not great at this point in time, nor should it be," she said.

"There are some awful stories that we've heard and that have shocked us all, and there are people who've been really, really hurt.

"Hopefully we'll come together and deal with some of the issues that have been painful."

As Archbishop of Perth, Bishop Goldsworthy will lead the metropolitan diocese, as well as providing oversight of Bunbury and the North West.

She plans to devote attention to reconciliation and family violence in her new position.

"I'm coming to Perth to be a Bishop to the people," she said.

"I hope that I've got something to contribute more widely."

In February, Bishop Goldsworthy, who is married and has twin adult sons, will be installed as the eighth Archbishop of Perth at St George's Cathedral.