1973
The Anglican Church of the Redeemer at Windeyer will celebrate its 100th birthday on Sunday, November 25 with a special service. Fourth generation descendants of the families who first used the church last century regularly attend services. A history of the little stone church appears on page 8. (Photo)
From page 1
Windeyer Church Built When Gold Diggers Smoked Opium
Sunday, November 25, 1973 will be a very important day in the history of the little village of Windeyer, 24 miles from Mudgee. On that day the Anglican Church of the Redeemer will be 100 years old.
BY JUNE READ
The occasion is to be marked with a Commerative Service at 3 p.m. followed by afternoon tea. The parishioners of the little stone church extend a most sincere invitation to all who are interested.
Today, when you look at the village of Windeyer, it is hard to imagine a community of 10,000 people existed a century ago.
The Windeyer - Long Creek supported all the usual amenities such as butcher shops, a bakery, and general stores (European as well as Chinese).
A post office was at each centre and there were 19 hotels.
Some of the hotels had very picturesque titles e.g. “The Good Women Inn”.
This hotel was run by a Mr. William Mulholland, and e took an active part in church affairs. He was known as an “extremely public spirited” citizen.
At the Chinese stores there were no restrictions on the sale of opium and the Chinese miners used their gold to buy it.
One of the stores had a room with benches especially put in so that their opium smoking customers could lie down on and enjoy their dreams.
CHINESE MINERS
Although many of the miners were Chinese, the majority were of European extraction.
It was these people who looked to the future and established churches and schools.
The school was opened in 1859, and in the same year a Church of England and rectory were built.
The first Roman Catholic church was built about the same time.
However, by 1865 the Church of England was “little better than a ruin, unsightly in itself, and unworthy of the object to which it was derived.
A public meeting was held on October 26 1865 to decide the “best means of providing decent church accomodation for the neighbourhood” and that “efforts should be made for the erection of a new brick church.”
Several means of raising money were employed. Subscriptions lists were sent to various parts of the country.
The ladies of Windeyer invited the neighbourhood to a public Tea Party at Mr. Frederick Wingrave’s Hotel at Pure Point.
“A considerable number of persons gladly availed themselves of the opportunity of contributing to the Church Building Fund and the handsome sum of £17/9/- was placed to the credit of the cause”.
The Rev. James Ross was requested to obtain 100 Prayer Books to present to those juveniles who had collected money for the Building Fund.
On February 3, 1866 the old church was sold to Mr. Richard Yeo for £12.
On the same day, Mr. Thomas Gordon’s tender of £256 for the erection of the new church, was accepted.
The building was to be of the dimensions; length 30 feet; width 18 feet; height 13 or 14 feet (inside measurements) and walls 14 inches thick.
FOUNDATION STONE
The foundation stone was laid by Mr. Stephen Tucker of Long Creek on May 21 1866.
Those in attendance were Rev. James Ross (the incumbent), Rev. C. E. G. Stiles of Sofala, Rev. James Gunther of Mudgee, Commissioner J. H. S. Scott of Hargraves and a considerable proportion of the inhabitants of the district of Meroo.
“The solemnities customary upon such occasions were observed.”
The children put in the bands of the Incumbent, the Rev. James Ross, their several cards and collections and each received at his hands, a copy of the Church Service. In the evening, the building committee entertained their Revd. guests and Mr. Commissioner Scott, at Mr. Mulholland’s Hotel. Dinner tickets were 10/6.
Work on the new building progressed very slowly, and on more than one occasion the builder was called on to make haste.
Several meetings of the Building Committee were held in 1868 with the object of getting the work completed. There is no further report of progress, or otherwise, until March 1873, when a committee was formed to arrange for the furnishings of the church.
Quotes were obtained from the firm of Hudson Brothers of Sydney, but the price of 35 shillings per seat was considered too high.
Tenders were called for at Mudgee, and Mr. Thomas’s tender for making and erecting the seats, pulpit, reading desk and Communion Rail, in cedar, for £35/10/- was accepted.
CONSECRATION
The attractive little church, built of local stone, was finally opened and consecrated on November 21, 1873 by the then Bishop of Bathurst, the Right Reverend Samual Marsden D.D. and a Confirmation Service was held. No further details of this important occasion are known.
The Rectory where Rev. James Ross lived, was some way from the new church. It was next door to the present Post Office and was destroyed by fire about 1932.
The Wells family lived there for many years after it ceased to house the Rectory and they conducted the Post Office and store in the building.
RECORDS BURNT
There are many unfilled gaps in the history of the church at Windeyer. Numerous questions are expected to remain unanswered for all time.
This is because the early records of the little stone church were sent to Bathurst many years ago, where later they were destroyed by fire.
Old registers at St. John’s Church of England show quite a few weddings conducted in the Windeyer and Meroo districts.
However, the weddings all took place before the present church was built and were conducted in private homes. During the same period, other couples made the long journey to Mudgee to be married in St. John’s.
Unanswered questions such as, who was the first couple married in the little stone church and who was the first baby baptised, will continue to tantalize local historians.
Another is whether there were any other ministers apart from Rev. James Ross.
Perhaps when the gold petered out and the population dwindled, the Rev. Ross was transferred elsewhere, the rectory closed and the church administered from Mudgee. But when did this happen? No one knows.
INTERIOR
The Church interior was extensively renovated some years ago. The old pulpit and reading desk were removed and the Communion Rail extended right across the building.
The walls have been replastered and painted in recent years and the ladies of the district have worked hard to pay for the carpeting of the whole Church.
Other furnishings have been given over the years. The altar was given by the children of Frederick and Elizabeth Lovett (one of whom was Mrs. Ada Elizabeth Read of “Ribbonwood”). The lectern is in memory of James and Ada Read and the cross was given by the Brownlow family. The altar vases are in memory of George Wells and the candlesticks were given by Frederick Evens in memory of his parents.
It is expected that two more memorials, in the form of pictures, will be dedicated at the centenary. These are in memory of the late Cecil Hawkins and the late Arthur Toovey.
For 100 years, ever since the first ladies of the district held their “Public Tea Parties” to raise funds, the women of the district have given generously of their time and talents. For nearly 30 years, the late Miss Bertha Wells attended to the cleaning of the church, and on her retirement the work was taken over by the ladies on a roster basis.
For more than 27 years Mrs. Arthur Toovey played the organ, and when she moved to Mudgee, Mrs. Charles Hooper took over.
DESCENDANTS
Many of the worshippers today are third and fourth generation of the original families.
Mr. Charles Hooper and his son Stephen are descendants of Mr. William Hooper, who was the Trustees Warden in 1871. Mr. Hooper was a Warden of the Church for 65 years.
Mr. Mervyn Winter and son John, and Susan, Della and Vincent Winter are all descended from Mr. Joseph Winter, whose brother, Mr. Charles Winter, was the People’s Warden in the same year.
Mr. Charles Whitfield was the Rector’s Warden.
The Read family have both been associated with the church for several generations.
The three Adams girls, Muriel, Wilhemina and Nina were all christened, confirmed and married in the Church. Miss Nina Adam’s wedding to Mr. Alexander Seis in 1948 was the last wedding performed in the church. Mr. Harvey Adams is the present Secretary/Treasurer.
The 1973 Vestry comprises Messrs: G. Nicholson, H. Adams, J. Read, R. Sampson, C. Hooper, Mesdames B. Winter, J. Read, R. Sampson and G. Nicholson.
Mudgee Guardian, Wednesday 7 November 1973, p. 1 & 8. Windeyer Church