St. Stephen the Martyr Anglican Church, High Street Penrith
First Incumbent: The Rev. Henry Fulton was the first rector. He knew the area and its people well, as he had been a minister of the older area of Castlereagh just north of Penrith since 1814, and was also a magistrate of the court in Penrith.
A Local Landmark: The northwest corner of the Church’s thirteen metre tower was made Penrith’s trigonometric point and the tower became a landmark for travellers in the early days.
The Fabric: Built in local sun-dried brick, the exterior of the church began to crumble and was cement-rendered in 1906, both inside and out. Restoration and repairs have remained an on-going necessity.
The Interior: Originally, the pew settings were box type, rented as was the custom of the time, by various families. The box pews were removed and open long pews installed in the 1860’s. In 1952 the present arrangement of a centre aisle was effected. The bell, said to have been cast on the site, is dated 1838 and is still in use.
The Windows: The eastern window demonstrates the style produced in the 1870’s in N.S.W. and later ones present as pictures – those in the vestry depict the marriage in Cana and the 4 in the northern porch have caused it to be known as the Apostles’ Porch.
Rector: Rev. Tom Harricks
Associate Minister: Rev Mark Bolas
Postal Address:
252 High St
Penrith 2750
New South Wales Australia
Phone: (02) 4721 2124
Service Times:
Sundays – 7:30 am | 10 am | 6:30 pm
St. Stephen’s Mission Statement:
At St Stephen’s we are a church that greatly values community and relationships of all ages. We meet regularly to get to know each other, encourage each other and seek to live out our faith in the life-changing Son of God – Jesus Christ
St. Stephen’s Anglican Church was the first Church built in Penrith and is now the 15th oldest surviving church in NSW. The foundation stone was laid on 22nd November, 1837, the local community contributing freely towards the cost of building the church.
The Site:
The land on which the church stands was part of the original grant to John Best. Subsequently sold to John Tindale, this “one acre more or less”, which at the time was in the centre of the little village of Penrith, was obtained from John Tindale by the church for “£20 of lawful money”.
The Consecration:
The Bishop of Australia, the Rt. Rev. William G. Broughton, consecrated St. Stephen’s Church on July 16th, 1839.
| Henry Fulton | 1838-1840 |
|---|---|
| Thomas Makinson | 1840-1841 |
| Robert Knox Sconce | 1842-1843 |
| Ben Lucas Watson | 1844-1853 |
| Elijah Smith | 1853-1868 |
| John Vaughan | 1868-1880 |
| George Brown | 1881-1899 |
| Edward Hargrave | 1899-1902 |
| Henry Holliday | 1903-1907 |
| Mervyn Archdall | 1908-1913 |
| Montague Hinsby | 1914-1920 |
| Leslie Hatfield-Fall | 1920-1924 |
| H. Norman Powys | 1924-1932 |
| John William Ferrier | 1932-1936 |
| Raymond Chapple | 1936-1947 |
| Archibald Hodgson | 1947-1960 |
| Richard Owen Dykes | 1960-1966 |
| Warron Bryden Brown | 1967-1984 |
| Donald Jesse Wilson | 1984-1993 |
| David Gray Mulready | 1993-2000 |
| Rick Miller | 2000-2013 |
| Tom Harricks | 2014-Present |
The Archives Office is located in the old rectory next door to the Church in High Street. The archivists are always keen to receive information about the parish, however trivial. Their aim is to index material so that it can be made available for interested persons and those conducting research.
The honorary archivists may be contacted through the Parish Office 9am-1pm, Monday to Friday or by telephoning (02) 4721 2124.