The church in the middle of a graveyard.
This is St Matthew’s Church of England located in Winsor, New South Wales.
That was my first time to visit a church amidst a graveyard and was even used during the 1800s. At the graveyard, tombs were those of some young and old people and by going through each tomb a pattern of life during those times is being revealed, a history preserved right close and at the backyard of their church.
The church has a simple interior decoration as shown on its ceiling, yet the church is an everlasting glorious, spacious and a solemn place of worship with a simple altar and pulpit. You can view more photos of the church in my photo gallery at the sidebar.
According to historical records of Winsor, St. Matthew’s Church was the masterpiece of the convict architect Francis Greenway, who was retained by Governor Macquarie to rectify the poor standard of building in the colony and is one of only two Hawkesbury designed by him, the other being the Windsor Court House. The church which was built on a site selected specifically for that purpose under Governor Macquarie’s direction is one of the most beautiful buildings in Australia. The corner stone was laid by Governor Macquarie in October 1817. The church was consecrated in December 1822 with Samuel Marsden conducting the opening service. Predating the church is the Macquarie graveyard. Enterprising ex-convict, Andrew Thompson, was the first burial in 1810 and the stone covering his grave (to the north-east of the church), was commissioned by Macquarie and is well worth seeking out.
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