St Matthew's Anglican Church, Windsor

About

St Matthew's Anglican Church is a heritage-listed Anglican church building located at Moses Street, Windsor, City of Hawkesbury, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by Francis Greenway and built from 1817 by convict labour. The property is owned by the Anglican Church Property Trust. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

The lower Hawkesbury was home to the Dharug people. The proximity to the Nepean River and South Creek qualifies it as a key area for food resources for indigenous groups. The Dharug and Darkinjung people called the river Deerubbin and it was a vital source of food and transport.

Governor Arthur Phillip explored the local area in search of suitable agricultural land in 1789 and discovered and named the Hawkesbury River after Baron Hawkesbury. This region played a significant role in the early development of the colony with European settlers established here by 1794. Situated on fertile floodplains and well known for its abundant agriculture, Green Hills (as it was originally called) supported the colony through desperate times. However, frequent flooding meant that the farmers along the riverbanks were often ruined.

In 1794, the land on which the church now stands was first alienated for European purposes in a grant made by Francis Grose of thirty acres to Samuel Wilcox, who named it Wilcox Farm. It is likely that land clearance and agricultural activities as well as some building works took place during this period and subsequently. In the early nineteenth century, the former Wilcox Farm was incorporated into a larger holding of 607 hectares (1,500 acres) known as Peninsula Farm.

Governor Lachlan Macquarie replaced Governor Bligh, taking up duty on 1 January 1810. Under his influence the colony prospered. His vision was for a free community, working in conjunction with the penal colony. He implemented an unrivalled public works program, completing 265 public buildings, establishing new public amenities and improving existing services such as roads. Under his leadership Hawkesbury district thrived. He visited the district on his first tour and recorded in his journal on 6 December 1810: "After dinner I christened the new townships...I gave the name of Windsor to the town intended to be erected in the district of the Green Hills...the township in the Richmond district I have named Richmond..." the district reminded Macquarie of those towns in England, whilst Castlereagh, Pitt Town and Wilberforce were named after English statesmen. These are often referred to as Macquarie's Five Towns. Their localities, chiefly Windsor and Richmond, became more permanent with streets, town square and public buildings.

Tenders had been called in August 1816, plans had been drawn up, bricks had been made and material supplied. Henry Kitchen, builder, was paid a total of A£ 800 in the next two years for his work. But reports on the building's progress were disturbing, and finally, Macquarie requested Greenway to investigate the situation. To Greenway's mind, his plan was being ruined by poor materials and bad workmanship. He condemned the structure and recommended that it should be removed and the building commenced anew. A specially appointed committee also reached the same conclusion.

Greenway had appointed John Jones of Windsor as his building superintendent for St Matthew's. Jones allowed for upward of 200,000 bricks to be made on his land and in return received 202 hectares (500 acres) of land beyond the Blue Mountains, just south of Kelso. Governor Macquarie's prompt action in ordering the church to be pulled down and a fresh start must have spurred Greenway on to produce a new and grander design.

Macquarie's leadership was investigated by an enquiry into the colony's affairs and the Bigge Report concluded that a free and penal society could co-exist but with tighter controls on convict management. Governor Macquarie resigned and returned to England in 1822. Prior to departing the colony he visited the Hawkesbury with his successor Sir Thomas Brisbane. They inspected Francis Greenway's new St Matthew's Church as well as other public buildings in Windsor. The Hawkesbury inhabitants presented Macquarie with a public address which commended him on his administration. The residents requested Macquarie sit for a portrait and flattered by the request, he agreed. The painting was completed in England and returned to Windsor and has hung in the Windsor Court House since the 1820s, in the district where he was so highly esteemed.

The Rev. Samuel Marsden, principal Chaplain of the Colony, consecrated the Church on 8 December 1822 and the Hawkesbury settlers attended the service in large numbers. The porch was added to the southern side of the Church in 1857, temporarily obscuring Macquarie's large commemorative stone which was later discovered and placed on the outer wall of the porch

The Stables The tenders for the "office-house" attached to the Rectory was advertised on 7 and 14 October 1824 respectively. Built by William Cox, local builder and developer, the stables were completed during 1825 from plans prepared by either Francis Greenway or Standish Harris. From church records it is conclusive that by the 1890, the stables were in a dilapidated state as outlined by complaints by the then rector, the Rev Gerard D'Arcy Irvine. It appears that repairs were undertaken during the 1890s and involved possibly the changing of the roof from shingles to iron. In 1891 an additional expenditure to paint seven doors and windows and coat the building with "Lime and Copperas" was incurred.

By 1936 the stables were again in a state of disrepair and there was a recommendation made to demolish them. The church Synod involved the then Professor of Architecture at the University of Sydney, Prof Leslie Wilkinson. It was decided not to demolish the stables, and the only works undertaken was the removal of a partition wall.

Verbal advice has dated as c. 1950, the removal of an internal brick wall of the coach-house to allow a car to be garaged and confirmed that in the 1970s the timber props were installed in an attempt to prevent further deterioration of the brick wall by Mrs Rawson from a personal legacy.

In 1965, the church was restored by the NSW Government and the National Trust of Australia with money raised by the Trust's women's committee, which had raised a substantial sum of money in a public appeal to assist the conservation of three properties: the church, Experiment Farm Cottage, and Lindesay.

In 2002-03, a federal heritage CHPP grant of $99,985 was awarded for Stained Glass Window Restoration.

In 2016 the Anglican Parish of St Matthews, Windsor has launched a restoration appeal for proposed works which include a new columbarium wall, restoring the Church tower and Rectory windows. The first stage aims to raise $400,000. Also in 2016 to celebrate 200 years since Governor Macquarie laid its foundation stone, the parish council commissioned a book on the Church, written by Ian Jack and Jan Barkley-Jack. The book was officially launched on 12 November 2016 by Professor The Hon. Dame Marie Bashir AD CVO.

The lower Hawkesbury was home to the Dharug people. The proximity to the Nepean River and South Creek qualifies it as a key area for food resources for indigenous groups. The Dharug and Darkinjung people called the river Deerubbin and it was a vital source of food and transport.

Governor Arthur Phillip explored the local area in search of suitable agricultural land in 1789 and discovered and named the Hawkesbury River after Baron Hawkesbury. This region played a significant role in the early development of the colony with European settlers established here by 1794. Situated on fertile floodplains and well known for its abundant agriculture, Green Hills (as it was originally called) supported the colony through desperate times. However, frequent flooding meant that the farmers along the riverbanks were often ruined.

In 1794, the land on which the church now stands was first alienated for European purposes in a grant made by Francis Grose of thirty acres to Samuel Wilcox, who named it Wilcox Farm. It is likely that land clearance and agricultural activities as well as some building works took place during this period and subsequently. In the early nineteenth century, the former Wilcox Farm was incorporated into a larger holding of 607 hectares (1,500 acres) known as Peninsula Farm.

Governor Lachlan Macquarie replaced Governor Bligh, taking up duty on 1 January 1810. Under his influence the colony prospered. His vision was for a free community, working in conjunction with the penal colony. He implemented an unrivalled public works program, completing 265 public buildings, establishing new public amenities and improving existing services such as roads. Under his leadership Hawkesbury district thrived. He visited the district on his first tour and recorded in his journal on 6 December 1810: "After dinner I christened the new townships...I gave the name of Windsor to the town intended to be erected in the district of the Green Hills...the township in the Richmond district I have named Richmond..." the district reminded Macquarie of those towns in England, whilst Castlereagh, Pitt Town and Wilberforce were named after English statesmen. These are often referred to as Macquarie's Five Towns. Their localities, chiefly Windsor and Richmond, became more permanent with streets, town square and public buildings.

Tenders had been called in August 1816, plans had been drawn up, bricks had been made and material supplied. Henry Kitchen, builder, was paid a total of A£ 800 in the next two years for his work. But reports on the building's progress were disturbing, and finally, Macquarie requested Greenway to investigate the situation. To Greenway's mind, his plan was being ruined by poor materials and bad workmanship. He condemned the structure and recommended that it should be removed and the building commenced anew. A specially appointed committee also reached the same conclusion.