More on St. Thomas’ Church
If you are fortunate enough to be facing in the proper direction when you step out of your Port Macquarie holiday accommodation, you may be able to see St. Thomas’ Church. It is located atop a hill, and is probably one of the best spots in town to get a great view of the city as well as the shore. This small church has the distinction of being the fifth oldest Anglican church that is still being used in Australia, and as such is quite special.
St. Thomas’ Church has a very interesting history. Like many structures built in the early 1800s, it was built entirely by slave labour in 1824, which was during the time that Port Macquarie was still a penal settlement. The military kept these convicts under strict supervision to make sure they worked as they had been instructed to do. It took about 4 years to completely build the church, and the first service was held in 1828. Those present during that monumental first gathering were prisoners as well as military personnel. Once Port Macquarie’s population began to increase with the arrival of settlers, these people also began to attend the church.
It truly boggles the mind to realise that the walls of St. Thomas’ Church were built with around 365, 000 hand made bricks. Extremely well constructed, the nave of the church can boast walls made of these bricks that are 3 feet thick, and the church tower has walls that are even thicker. It is fascinating to look closely at these bricks, and see the fingerprints on some of them that were made by the convicts, and used as a sort of crude tally to keep up with how many bricks had been used. The mortar for these hand made bricks was created from local oyster shells that came from the north shore of the Hastings River.
Just like other structures built during this time, the original floor of the church was made from hard-packed earth. It went through an upgrade in 1846 when the earth was covered with paving bricks. Local cedar trees were the source of most of the wood used in the building of St. Thomas’ Church. The original plaster ceiling was replaced with cedar in 1856. To further upgrade the structure, the roof got an overhaul both in 1883 and 1923, going from shingles to corrugated iron to terra cotta tiles.
A noteworthy feature of St Thomas’ Church is the pew boxes. Built to seat an entire family, these are the original boxes built by the convicts, and they are still in use today. Notice the high sides on these boxes, and the fact that they are a bit raised. This was meant to protect people seated in them from being able to be seen by the convicts. Apparently, the “free” folk did not want anything whatsoever to do with the convicts, and that included eye contact.
Take notice of the circular stairway leading to the organ room. It was crafted in 1970 by a Port Macquarie local. The pipe organ for the church is an 1856 Walker Pipe Organ, and there are no other instruments like it anywhere in the entire Southern Hemisphere. There is also a muniments room in the church where historic old church records, Prayer Books, Bibles, and even musical instruments that were once used during the worship services long ago.
Take the time to visit and view St. Thomas’ Church while you are visiting Port Macquarie. It is open on weekdays only from 9:30 AM until 12 Noon, and then from 2 PM until 4PM.
