FRIDAY FACT ~ did you know the oldest church still in use in the Southern Hemisphere is located in the Hawkesbury? In 1802 a group of free settlers travelled to Sydney on the “Coromandel” They eventually settled in the Hawkesbury and worshipped in the open air under a tree. In 1808 they constructed a small stone building at Portland Head which was in use by 1809. The stone entrance porch was added in 1929. It is the oldest church in Australia and became known as Ebenezer Church. A school was also established on the site. The burial ground adjacent contains many Hawkesbury pioneers including many generations of the original settlers. A number of the early funerals transported the coffins by riverboat to Ebenezer. John Grono died in 1917 and his was one of the last funerals arriving by river. From the 1820s a ferry service operated between Pitt Town and Ebenezer but closed in the 1920s. A list of the pioneers can be found on the church website ebenezerchurch.org.au/pioneers.htm The church & schoolhouse is open daily and its worth taking a look at this historic site and looking around. They also do great Devonshire teas. The Spring Fete is on this Saturday (4th October) if anyone is interested. This image was taken in 1900 by EW Searle and is from the National Library of Australia.
Posted on: Fri, 03 Oct 2014 11:39:35 +0000
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