Ebenezer Uniting Church Ebenezer Uniting Church is the oldest standing church in Australia. This small stone building overlooking the Hawkesbury River was the first Presbyterian church and is still in use today. The site has been a place of worship since 1803, when local Scottish settlers, under the leadership of Pastor James Mein, met beneath the tree which still stands in the churchyard. The church was used as both a school and chapel and was built in 1809. The simple stone building with stone walls and a gable roof was built and paid for by volunteers. The early Scottish Presbyterian settlers constructed a sturdy, unadorned structure that reflected their way of life, taste and customs.

Scottish settlers built Ebenezer Church amongst eucalyptus trees and grassland on a prominent ridge overlooking the Hawkesbury River. Photograph by Nicole Secombe.

The school at Ebenezer was opened in 1810 under the headmastership of John Youl, a layman of the Anglican Church. It operated out of the church until the 1880s when a public school was built. When this burnt down shortly afterwards, the school returned to the church until the present public school opened in 1902. A schoolmaster's residence was built in 1817. The first burial took place in 1812 and a cemetery was established in the churchyard. Coffins were brought to the church by river with boatloads of mourners joining the funeral procession as it was rowed along the Hawkesbury. This cemetery is one of the most important in Australia. Six generations are buried in its grounds, including some of the first free settlers in the colony. Ebenezer Church is protected by a Permanent Conservation Order and is also listed on the National Trust Register. It has been identified by the Heritage Council as being of State significance. In 1959 the church was extensively repaired and a vestry was built nearby. In 1985, a Heritage Council grant assisted the restoration of the Church Vestry and Schoolmaster's Residence.

The Great Synagogue, Sydney The tall twin towers of The Great Synagogue once dominated the surrounding streetscape. The synagogue on Elizabeth Street has been the focus of Jewish worship and culture in central Sydney since the 1870s. It was built to unite two congregations in Sydney which worshipped in separate synagogues in nearby Macquarie Street and York Street. Jewish history in Australia dates back to the arrival of the First Fleet which carried 16 Jews. In about 1817 former convict, Joseph Marcus, led Jewish worship. But it was not until 1828 that regular services commenced in the home of settler Philip Joseph Cohen. The first synagogue, designed in Egyptian style, was built in 1844 at the southern end of York Street. The Jewish community launched an appeal to fund the building of their new larger synagogue and eminent architect, Thomas Rowe, was selected to build it. He designed a Victorian gothic style building rich with elaborate decoration and superb craftsmanship. The twin towers facing Elizabeth Street were built of Pyrmont stone and the remainder of brick with cast-iron columns, timber floors and a slate roof. Leading decorative firms from Australia, Great Britain and the United States were engaged to provide stained and etched glass, decorative cast iron and columns, carved timber, brass work and tiling. Work on the building commenced in 1875 and it was consecrated in March 1878.

The midnight blue ceiling with gold leaf stars is said to represent the creation of the world. Photograph by John Eagar, courtesy of The Great Synagogue, Sydney. The elaborately decorated interior of The Great Synagogue is embellished with abstract patterns to avoid representation of God or any human being. Photograph by John Eagar, courtesy of The Great Synagogue, Sydney.

Today The Great Synagogue consists of two main sections: the original synagogue with ladies' gallery at the Elizabeth Street end, and a five storey modern section at the Castlereagh Street end. It is listed on the Local Environment Plan for the City of Sydney and is on the Register of the National Estate. It has been identified by the Heritage Council as being of State significance. The State Heritage Inventory can be accessed via the Heritage Office Home Page at: www.heritage.nsw.gov.au

Now available: Database software and training The State Heritage Inventory (SHI) database software is available free of charge to Government agencies, local government and heritage professionals conducting heritage studies. Training courses for using the database software are held each month at the Heritage Office in Parramatta. Each session includes an overview of the database, searching and navigation techniques, data entry and installation of software. For more information on future training dates and bookings, contact Ric Bolzan or Stewart Watters on (02) 9635 6155.