ALL SAINTS CHURCH
​Today, this is a charming heritage site complete with the beautiful church, historic cemetery, the cloisters and a peaceful view of the Swan River.
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The site is near where Ellen's Brook (the stream, named after Captain James Stirling's wife Ellen, that gives the nearby town its name) meets the Swan River. This site is close to where Captain James Stirling camped on the eastern bank during his exploration of this area in 1827.
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All Saints was built by Richard Edwards between 1838 and 1840, with the first service taking place in January 1841. The graveyard is the final resting place of many early Swan Valley settlers. The site is entered via the Lychgate that was added in 1929 to commemorate the centenary of Western Australia.
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The church was originally constructed from handmade clay bricks, fired on site by the settlers, since replaced with kiln fired clay bricks. The floorboards are hand-sawn, and the flagstones were repurposed from the ballast used in the ships bringing settlers to the colony. The building is simple Gothic Revival, with narrow lancet windows and an open-beam timber ceiling. The Christ Knocking on the Door stained glass window was installed in 1912 and donated by the Edgecombe family.
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Also on site are the Cloisters, a quiet, contemplative building. They incorporate original ceiling beams from the church that were salvaged during restoration. These cloisters are not enclosed, so they allow visitors a place of quiet reflection and contemplation. The cloisters are used by our worship community after services in the church.
While our parish is incredibly proud of the history of this site, it's important to know that it's still a living symbol of faith, resilience and community, and we are so grateful that we are able to continue our worship on the site where the early settlers chose to worship.