St Pauls Anglican Church Kincumber celebrates 175th anniversary
IT’S known as the shipwright’s church and in its shady grounds are the graves of renown shipbuilders who plied their trade in the early decades of the colony.
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ON OPPOSITE sides of one of the Central Coast’s busiest roads the oldest and soon-to-be-newest Brisbane Water Anglican churches face each other across the traffic.
On one side is beautiful historic St Paul’s which celebrates the 175th anniversary this month — and opposite it on the other side of Avoca Drive, a new $3.5m church is taking shape.
Anglican Rector Allan Bate said it was an exciting time for Kincumber Anglican Parish with both the old and the new reflecting the strength and resilience of the local congregation.
The 175th anniversary of the completion of heritage listed St Pauls will be marked with an open day on October 28 which will kick off with a re-enactment of an 1800s clergyman riding his horse from Frost Reserve to the church.
A new history of the church written by local resident Bruce Fraser and illustrated by Vivienne Nelson (wife of a former parish minister) will be launched.
Guided tours of the church and the historic graveyard will be run and there will be history displays, food stalls and an art competition.
FASCINATING HISTORY
St Pauls Church is the oldest Anglican Church in the Brisbane Water district and a midweek service is still held there today.
Hundreds of weddings and funerals have been held within its walls and in the pretty surrounding gardens.
Plans to build a church emerged in 1838 — just 50 years after the colony of NSW was established.
The colonial government handed over 1.2 hectares of land (3 acres) in 1840.
It took a few years for the cash strapped local community to fund the church which was finally completed by 1847 for 636 pounds.
The stone used in building the church was quarried from the property of William Pickett of South Kincumber who also supplied the stone for Holy Cross Catholic Church in South Kincumber which was begun the same year 1841.
St Paul’s Church was built entirely by free labour, in a time of severe economic recession.
Due to its location at the head of the Broadwater, the village of Kincumber soon became the centre of the shipbuilding industry, with four main shipbuilders clustered around the estuary of Kincumber Creek and alongside St Paul’s church grounds.
The grave yard is the resting place of many pioneers connected with this industry and St Paul’s became known as the shipwright’s church.
GRAVE CONCERNS
The graveyard of St Paul’s is also heritage listed and contains the graves of renowned mariners, shipwrights and sail makers of the time.
It’s tombstones read like a who’s who of local families and industries — Davis (for whom Davistown and Bensville are named), Frosts, Normans, MacMaster (linked to MacMasters Beach), Master mariner Jonathon Piper, the Beaties, the Woodwards, Settrees and Henderson a sail maker, the Wards and Scaysbrooks.
Renown Australian painter Sir Russell Drysdale is buried there. In 1969 he was knighted for his services to Australian art.
Australia’s first Astronomer Royal James Dunlop died in 1848 and is another.
His family had a small farm on the shores of Kincumber Broadwater where they lived in the homestead known as Boora Boora (which still stands).
He was a Member of the French Institute and did much of his work at Parramatta Observatory.
His original headstone was broken and replaced with another at the gravesite.
The damaged stone was relocated and placed in the portico of the church.
According to the parish website — this was no easy thing to achieve with stiff opposition from the Bishop of the time because Scottish-born Dunlop was a Presbyterian.
The graves subtly document the changing health outcomes of local people.
Of the 54 graves dated before 1900, 35 per cent of the people died before their 20th birthday and only 22 per made it past the age of 70.
After 1900, fewer than eight per cent died between birth and 20 years of age and more than 53 per cent lived to more than 70 years of age.
THE NEW CHURCH
Meanwhile across the road construction of the new $3.5m church continues on the site of the former 1960s rectory.
It’s expected to open in the new year — replacing a number of smaller Anglican churches including those at Avoca, and Saratoga.
The sale of church properties has helped fund the new church which Rector Allan Bate said would consolidate the Kincumber parish allowing for both current activities and future growth.
The new church will seat 180 and will include meeting rooms and offices and other facilities.
It is designed by Sydney architects but is being built by local trades people.