Ebenezer Church, Presbyterian church in Hawkesbury, Australia.
Ebenezer Church is a stone building with thick block walls and a pitched slate roof located near the Hawkesbury River in New South Wales. A sloping cemetery surrounds the structure on its grounds.
Construction began in 1809 under architect Andrew Johnston, creating one of Australia's oldest standing church structures. The building reflects early colonial building methods established in the emerging colony.
Scottish and Irish immigrants shaped the congregation's character, bringing their reformed faith traditions to establish a new religious community in the colony. Visitors can sense how these settlers anchored their spiritual identity in this remote colonial landscape.
The site is easily accessible and allows visitors to explore the building and surrounding cemetery at their own pace. A former schoolmaster's residence from 1817 serves as a museum space where guests can learn about colonial history and local heritage.
An original cedar bookcase belonging to Dr. John McGarvie, the first ordained minister beginning in 1826, remains displayed in the entrance porch. This piece of furniture connects visitors directly to a key figure in early Australian church history.
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