Wilberforce, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
Wilberforce is a small town in New South Wales
, Australia
, in the local government area of the City of Hawkesbury
. It is just beyond the outer suburbs of north-west Sydney
and lies on the western bank of the Hawkesbury River
.
, colonial governor of New South Wales 1810-21, and accordingly is locally known as a "Macquarie Town
", a title given to townships established by Governor Macquarie on 6th December 1810 in and around the Sydney metropolitan area.
It was named after William Wilberforce
(1759–1833) who was a British politician, philanthropist and a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade.
Wilberforce currently boasts Rose Cottage; the oldest timber slab cottage in Australia standing on its original site.
The historic St John's Anglican Church was designed by Edmund Thomas Blacket and built by J. Atkinson of Windsor
. Construction was started in 1856 and the building was not completed until 1859 at a cost of £1500. The grounds of the church and contains the Old School House building (Built 1819), which was used as a school, a church, and a residence of the school master until the church was completed. The school house was replaced in 1880 by a Public School. The original church building is still used for the church's 8am service with the modern education centre used for later services.
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, in the local government area of the City of Hawkesbury
City of Hawkesbury
The City of Hawkesbury is a Local Government Area of New South Wales, Australia, part of which is at the fringe of the Sydney metropolitan area, about 50 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district...
. It is just beyond the outer suburbs of north-west Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and lies on the western bank of the Hawkesbury River
Hawkesbury River
The Hawkesbury River, also known as Deerubbun, is one of the major rivers of the coastal region of New South Wales, Australia. The Hawkesbury River and its tributaries virtually encircle the metropolitan region of Sydney.-Geography:-Course:...
.
History
Wilberforce is one of the original settlements established as a township by Lachlan MacquarieLachlan Macquarie
Major-General Lachlan Macquarie CB , was a British military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the last autocratic Governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1810 to 1821 and had a leading role in the social, economic and architectural development of the colony...
, colonial governor of New South Wales 1810-21, and accordingly is locally known as a "Macquarie Town
Macquarie Towns
Macquarie Towns or the Five Macquarie Towns is the collective term for the towns of Castlereagh, Pitt Town, Richmond, Wilberforce and Windsor, all located on and around the Hawkesbury River in New South Wales, Australia....
", a title given to townships established by Governor Macquarie on 6th December 1810 in and around the Sydney metropolitan area.
It was named after William Wilberforce
William Wilberforce
William Wilberforce was a British politician, a philanthropist and a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780, eventually becoming the independent Member of Parliament for Yorkshire...
(1759–1833) who was a British politician, philanthropist and a leader of the movement to abolish the slave trade.
Wilberforce currently boasts Rose Cottage; the oldest timber slab cottage in Australia standing on its original site.
The historic St John's Anglican Church was designed by Edmund Thomas Blacket and built by J. Atkinson of Windsor
Windsor, New South Wales
Windsor is a town in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Windsor is located in the local government area of the City of Hawkesbury. It sits on the Hawkesbury River, on the north-western outskirts of the Sydney metropolitan area. At the 2006 census, Windsor had a population of...
. Construction was started in 1856 and the building was not completed until 1859 at a cost of £1500. The grounds of the church and contains the Old School House building (Built 1819), which was used as a school, a church, and a residence of the school master until the church was completed. The school house was replaced in 1880 by a Public School. The original church building is still used for the church's 8am service with the modern education centre used for later services.