St Martin's Anglican Church

Post

Subscribe

Posted 2024-05-12 by Audrey ⇒ follow

Located at the corner of Gorge Road and Lower North East Road, St Martin's Anglican Church was built after a meeting of locals in 1854. Three stained glass windows were placed behind the altar with eight more being added later on.

Next to the church is a historic cemetery where you'll find not only the headstones of pioneering Campbelltown families but also a life-size Clydesdale horse sculpture and various farming and market gardening exhibits including a Ferguson tractor and McCormic-Deering disk plough.

The cemetery had its first burial in 1859. Today, it remains a peaceful and relaxing place with well-maintained lawns as well as a gazebo for solitude and reflection.

A Soldiers Memorial stands proudly right on the corner where the two roads meet. Erected in 1925, the monument commemorates those from the Campbelltown Council District who served in World War I. Blue tiling reflects a horse trough while LED beams represent the Southern Cross. As rosemary grew wild on the Gallipoli Peninsula, many bushes have also been planted here behind the memorial.

An ANZAC Soldiers Walk was installed on the southern side of the church. Along the walk, you'll see a symbolic trench wall incorporating a metal book and information system. Do stop and spend some time reading about the soldiers and listening to war stories. Poignantly, sandbags have been used as a seat.

There's also a row of rose bushes along the pathway, each representing a major battle of World War I. On the wall are four silhouettes of soldiers. During the night, these silhouettes vary in colour as they are highlighted by floodlights.

We finished our visit with scones and coffee in the church cafe. The church has participated in South Australia's History Festival before and they hope to host an event again. Do look out for it if you're interested. Or else, feel free to visit the cemetery, memorial and walk any time. St Martin's Anglican Church can be found at 5 Gorge Road in Paradise.