Friday, September 30, 2011

Gostwyck Chapel, Uralla, NSW.

 

Gostwyck Station is a grazing property near Uralla, which is 23 km south of Armidale, and about half way between Brisbane and Sydney on the New England Highway.  Gostwyck Station has been owned by the same family since its establishment in 1834.

 

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Gostwyck Chapel was built in 1921 from bricks made and fired on the property. It was dedicated to the memory of Clive Collingwood Dangar (1882-1918). 

 

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The history of the chapel from this notice board reads as follows:

“This chapel was dedicated in memory of Major Clive Collingwood Dangar, M.C., who died in World War 1.  He was the youngest grandson of Henry Dangar, 1796-1861, who emigrated to the colony as a free settler in the Jessie 1821.  Henry was appointed assistant surveyor to John Oxley.  He and his brother William, 1800-1868, purchased Gostwyck in 1834.” 

 

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The stone wall surrounding the chapel was built as protection against flooding but the floods of the 1950’s rose higher than the walls and caused much damage to the furnishings and carpets.

 

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Apparently the Virginia Creeper on the walls is a blazing scarlet in autumn.  Will have to come back.

 

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The magnificent avenue of 200 elm trees was planted by a man brought out from England by the Dangars specifically for that job.  (Elm trees must be hard to plant.)

 

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There were some rosellas in the elm trees, silhouetted against the sky.

 

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This was as close as I managed to get to a rosella.

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