Mr Hollingworth was already under pressure to resign

Australian Governor-General Peter Hollingworth is to step aside from his post temporarily while a rape allegation dating back to the 1960s is dealt with by the courts.

Prime Minister John Howard made the announcement to reporters in Canberra.

Mr Hollingworth, 68, is firmly denying the rape allegation, which he made public on Thursday.

He has been under pressure for more than a year to resign because of separate allegations that he protected paedophiles in the Church while he was the Anglican archbishop of Brisbane.

The governor-general, appointed by the prime minister, is Queen Elizabeth's representative in Australia, and has various legal and ceremonial duties.

Mr Hollingworth said he regretted that he was unable to honour his engagements and was looking forward to the resolution of the court case.

"In taking this decision, I have always been mindful of maintaining the integrity and dignity of the office," he said in a statement.

Critical report

Mr Hollingworth was a controversial figure even before the rape accusations surfaced.

On 1 May, a Church report criticised him for failing to act in at least two cases of sexual abuse when he was the Archbishop of Brisbane - in particular, for allowing a known paedophile to continue working as a priest.

HOLLINGWORTH TIMELINE 1990-2001 - Archbishop of Brisbane June 2001 - Appointed Governor-General December 2001 - Allegations he mishandled sex abuse cases in 1990s 1 May 2003 - Report criticises him for conduct as Archbishop 8 May - Rape allegations become public Profile of Peter Hollingworth

The BBC's Dominic Hughes in Sydney says Mr Howard was facing a potentially damaging situation, with the governor general - who is supposed to be above politics - mired in scandal.

Mr Hollingworth's decision to stand aside is one way to get him off the front pages of the newspapers - at least temporarily, our correspondent adds.

The alleged rape victim, Rosemarie Annie Jarmyn, committed suicide last month.

She alleged that Mr Hollingworth had raped her at a church holiday camp in the mid-1960s.

The governor general insists it is a case of mistaken identity.

He says he never met Ms Jarmyn - who began her claim for compensation earlier this year.

Ms Jarmyn's lawyers have said they intend to pursue a civil action at the Supreme Court in Melbourne.

The prime minister said Mr Hollingworth would make no decision on his long-term future until the case was resolved.

However, Mr Howard told reporters: "It remains my view that there are no grounds for me to recommend to the Queen that [Mr] Hollingworth's appointment be terminated."

Tasmania governor Guy Green will take over his duties for the time being.