St Peters Anglican Church, Campbelltown

A closer view of the church in the background of yesterday's photo.

St Peter’s Church is the oldest building in Campbelltown and the third oldest Anglican Church in Australia. It opened for worship on 29th June, 1823.

It was designed and supervised by Frank Lawless, a foreman bricklayer. He seems to have copied the style of the great convict architect Francis Greenway. The style is Georgian (1702-1830)

The pendulum clock was made by Johnsons in London in 1838 (and certainly wasn't shoing the correct time! I was there about 2.30pm)

Campbelltown

Campbelltown, now a suburb/district captured as part of greater Sydney, is 50 kms southwest of the city centre. The Tharawal Aboriginal people lived here for 40 000 people. In On 1 December 1820 Campbelltown was named and founded by Governor Lachlan Macquarie. His wife, Elizabeth's family name was Campbell.

In the decades following World War II Campbelltown gradually change from a town, surrounded by rural land to a suburb of Sydney, with the development of new suburbs along the rail line towards Campbelltown.

This sculpture in Mawson park is of Mrs Elizabeth Macquarie. It was unveiled on 5 August 2006. The sculptor is renowned artist Tom Bass.

Bass’s statue depicts Elizabeth Macquarie with a sunbonnet, apron and watering can, and surrounded by a bed of irises. Bass gained inspiration for the statue from local historical reports, which said Mrs Macquarie was known to have given bunches of irises to local settlers when accompanying her husband on his official visits. I'm glad I was there today in Iris blooming season!

The Anglican church in the background, St Peters, dates from 1823.