Members of the Anglican parish of Dungog are gearing up to celebrate 160 years of worship at Christ Church next month.
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Along with the milestone, parishioners will celebrate the 100th year of the parish’s pipe organ.
“There’s a month of celebrations planned,” said Rector’s Warden Ros Hooke.
This includes a Parish Anniversary Dinner on September 8 and an organ recital at 2pm on September 15.
Festive Eucharist will be held on Sunday, September 16 at 9am with morning tea to follow.
Market Day will be held from 9am on September 22 followed by lunch and afternoon tea.
In conjunction with the Dungog Festival, a display of historical items will be in the Christ Church hall on September 29 and 30 from 10am until 4pm.
Fr Colvin Ford said the committee planning the celebrations would love for the wider community to be involved.
“The planning committee would really love the loan of any old photos of weddings, baptisms, clergy or parish occasions,” he said.
He said names of the people in the photographs would greatly enhance the planned historical display.
The committee would also appreciate the names and addresses of any former parishioners they could invite to the celebrations.
Christ Church in Dowling Street was opened and dedicated by Bishop Tyrell in 1858 – the first solidly built brick Anglican church in Dungog. The church was not consecrated until December 1861 when its debt was cleared and money owing to the Bishop was repaid.
The striking pipe organ in the church was dedicated and opened with an organ recital on August 23, 1918.
In the minutes of the parish council of May 1916 it is mentioned there was the “presentation of a 1000 pound from Mr TE Hooke for improvements to the church and grounds.
“It was proposed 500 pounds to be placed in an organ fund, 300 for church improvements and 200 towards the outstanding debt incurred with the new rectory.”
The organ was silent for long periods during the 1930s when there was little money for repairs.
In the 1960s the parish modernised the mechanism of the organ and moved the console to where it now stands
For more information on the planned events or to arrange for a loan of your photographs or other memorabilia relating to the parish, contact Margaret Flannery on 49921839.
