2025Ebenezer

A delightful place for a Devonshire tea
18th September, 2025 Today (Joan's birthday) we visit one of the historical towns in the Northwest of Sydney called Ebenezer. 18th September, 2025 The main point of interest in Ebenezer is this historic sandstone church. The town was named after Eben-Ezer in the Bible, (1 Samuel 7:12) , wherein Samuel set up a stone between Mizpah and Shen and gave the name to Ebenezer. 18th September, 2025 Ebenezer Uniting Church, on the banks of the Hawkesbury River, was originally a Presbyterian chapel which is the oldest standing church building in Australia. It was the first Presbyterian cemetery and contains the graves of many of the Scots who arrived on the ship the ‘Coromandel’ in 1802 and other church pioneers who were amongst the first settlers in the Hawkesbury. 18th September, 2025 This is the Schoolmaster's Cottage. The church has a very detailed website which describes the early pioneers and quite a bit of information about the property itself. The Ebenezer Church web site is available here.
18th September, 2025 The first burial in the churchyard cemetery was in 1812. Coffins were brought to the church by the river, with boatloads of mourners joining the funeral procession as it was rowed along the Hawkesbury. The cemetery is one of the most important in Australia with six generations buried in its grounds, including some of the first free settlers in the colony. 18th September, 2025 These gravestones appear to be the oldest in the cemetery. The church was built in 1808-09 but not finally fitted out until 1817. 18th September, 2025 The engraving has mostly disappeared from these gravestones. But, two of the legible gravestones indicate that these people died circa 1857. There are three little gravestones which I presume were built for children. Maybe they were born in the colony and were among the first to be buried in the colony. Interesting thought. 18th September, 2025 The school at Ebenezer was opened in 1810 under the headmastership of John Youl, a layman of the Anglican Church. It operated out of the church until the 1880s when a public school was built. When the public school burnt down shortly afterwards, the school returned to the church. The building was a school during the week and a chapel on Sunday until the present public school opened in 1902.
18th September, 2025 A schoolmaster's residence was built in 1817. It is now the oldest existing school building in Australia. The former schoolmaster's residence is nowadays used to serve Devonshire Teas and has a small museum of photos and furniture, with records of the settlers from the Coomandel (a ship that brought early voluntary passengers to NSW) 18th September, 2025 This is the remains of the bread oven. It is most likely that the bread oven is the oldest structure on the grounds of Ebenezer Church. 18th September, 2025 the most interesting thing about this picture is not the remains of the bread oven, it is the Hawkesbury River flowing in the background. This is prime real estate. 18th September, 2025 However it also appears that originally the oven may have been of a different structure and had other uses. Image 2 (Next page) suggests that it was originally the chimney of a timber slab building. This building is one of several hardwood slab buildings on the church grounds that may have had two uses: 1. In the first place it may have been the Home of church pioneers Owen and Margaret Cavanough who settled on their land Grant in 1803. 2. In times of inclement weather the early settlers may have worshipped in this building.
18th September, 2025 For the second 100 years of the history of Ebenezer Church, the bread oven is remembered as shown in Image 1. It was basically a rectangular sandstone structure with a single chamber on the side facing the river. A school began in the church in 1810 and for many years several pupils actually resided at the school in the care of the teacher and his wife. They did this because of the distance they had to travel to school and the dangerous they may face when walking along lonely tracks through the bush. It is believed that the bread baked in this oven was for the pupils of the church school. However, it also appears that originally the oven may have been of a different structure and had other uses. Image 2 suggests that it was originally the chimney of a timber slab building. This building, one of several hardwood slab buildings on the church grounds, may have had two uses. In the first place it may have been the Home of church pioneers Owen and Margaret Cavanough who settled on their land Grant in 1803. In times of inclement weather the early settlers may have worshipped in this building. In later years it may have been used as a kitchen for the teacher. The teacher and his family resided in the Schoolmaster's house that was built in 1817. It is most likely then that the bread oven is the oldest structure on the grounds of Ebenezer Church. 18th September, 2025 This is the school master's house. Classes commenced in 1810. 18th September, 2025 Behind us is the school master's house. This is where we placed our order for two Devonshire Teas. Volunteers (gentle little old ladies) prepared the teas within this building. Top marks for quality. 18th September, 2025 Who can beat this eh? Freshly made scones with cream and jam with the weather at a benevolent 22°.
18th September, 2025 Close up. Even served on proper crockery with metal knives. Everything is real. == 18th September, 2025 What's noticeable here is the white tablecloth. Unusual but nice. 18th September, 2025 Jenni climbed these very steep stairs to get to the attic of the church. I don't do stairs. 18th September, 2025 Note the chamber pot. My granny had one of these.
18th September, 2025 Not a lot to see up here, although when the public school burned down classes resumed in the church. Hello 18th September, 2025 Gravestones of early settlers line the fence. 18th September, 2025 Jenni walked down to the Hawkesbury River and took this picture looking back at the vestry and the school master's house on the left. 18th September, 2025 The Hawkesbury River. Many worshippers arrived by river instead of by road which was quite primitive (and dusty) in the early 1800s.
18th September, 2025 Note the two flags, the Australian flag since 1901 and the UK flag predating that. Around 1801, the UK flag became known as the union flag to symbolise the joining together of England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Wales was already part of a union with England. When flown on a ship of the Royal Navy, the flag was called the Union Jack. 18th September, 2025 Initially, early church services were held beneath this tree. 18th September, 2025 Church Pioneers took up their 100 acre land grants at Portland now called Ebenezer. In 1808 the settlers formed a society to build a church and school with the church being completed in the 1809. 18th September, 2025 In 1810, school commenced in the church with John Ewell as the teacher. The church celebrated its Centenary in 1909.
18th September, 2025 After our visit, we travelled upriver for a short distance to cross the Hawkesbury River by ferry at Sackville. 18th September, 2025 I love ferry trips like this. 18th September, 2025 We cross in a north-westerly direction and laterally, we are to the north of Mount Colah. 18th September, 2025 Return to Home Page