This is part 2 of Sydney by Technicality, and in this one I really am stretching the definition of Sydney.
Ebenezer is a town just north of Wilberforce and is apparently named after Biblical location "Eben-Ezer". Until now I only knew of Ebenezer Scrooge, but Wikipedia tells me there's actually a whole other world of Ebenezers out there. How about that.
To get into Ebenezer, I drove a short distance on some forested roads from Wilberforce.
I saw a point on the map named "Chain of Ponds Reserve" so I figured that was as good a place as any to check out on my leisurely drive through town.
On the way, Ebenezer treated me to some beautiful forest roads.
As well as some beautifully vibrant farmland.
Confusingly, these picnic tables are Chain of Ponds Reserve.
I did not see any ponds.
It would probably be a poor idea to walk into the bush in search for ponds, so I continued on my drive through Ebenezer.
Ebenezer Public School greeted me on my drive.
Now, I wouldn't normally bother sharing that I saw a school, except this school is actually super rad. What other schools do you know have giant pencils and a cutiepie fake sheep?
More importantly, however, Ebenezer Public is a "Crunch and Sip" school. I don't know what that means but it's hilarious.
Even their school bus stop is in a spot worthy of an album cover.
Just by the school is this very intriguing sign - Australia's oldest church.
Now, I'm not sure if this is like how in The Rocks, half of the bars have signs which say "Australia's oldest bar", but it's not like there's much else to see in Ebenezer is there?
This is Ebenezer Church. Apparently it is the oldest (still standing) church in the country, and that's pretty cool.
But before I went to take a look I had to inspect this odd looking tree across the road.
Before the church was built, this tree was where the early settlers of the area would hold their prayer services as early as 1803. Now the tree has been fenced off and serves as a beautifully simple monument to the local history of Ebenezer.
Back to the church now. In the "front yard" sits a historic cemetery with many generations of burials, going back as far as 1812, and there is also an old school house where some nice elderly ladies now sell tea and scones.
Behind the church is a lovely open space with picnic tables just barely overlooking the Hawkesbury River.
Ebenezer and it's church sit in a beautiful pocket of The Hawkesbury (and maybe Sydney - I'm not even sure if I should be counting this as a Sydney suburb but I'm going to do it anyway. Sue me). The fact that you can enjoy green pastures with a sprinkling of settler history just a stones throw from Sydney's endless suburbia makes me feel quite lucky to live in this city of ours.
I didn't see much else on my drive from Ebenezer onto "Sydney by Technicality III", except for this guy's humongous ranch.
This looks like the kind of house you need if you want your kids to call you "mother" and/or "father".
Judging by this fence and sign outside of the ranch I'm supposed to keep moving onto my next suburb.
Ebenezer: The pious sure now how to treat their visitors.
Ebenezer
Today we're getting Biblical people.Ebenezer is a town just north of Wilberforce and is apparently named after Biblical location "Eben-Ezer". Until now I only knew of Ebenezer Scrooge, but Wikipedia tells me there's actually a whole other world of Ebenezers out there. How about that.
To get into Ebenezer, I drove a short distance on some forested roads from Wilberforce.
I saw a point on the map named "Chain of Ponds Reserve" so I figured that was as good a place as any to check out on my leisurely drive through town.
On the way, Ebenezer treated me to some beautiful forest roads.
As well as some beautifully vibrant farmland.
Confusingly, these picnic tables are Chain of Ponds Reserve.
I did not see any ponds.
It would probably be a poor idea to walk into the bush in search for ponds, so I continued on my drive through Ebenezer.
Ebenezer Public School greeted me on my drive.
Now, I wouldn't normally bother sharing that I saw a school, except this school is actually super rad. What other schools do you know have giant pencils and a cutiepie fake sheep?
More importantly, however, Ebenezer Public is a "Crunch and Sip" school. I don't know what that means but it's hilarious.
Even their school bus stop is in a spot worthy of an album cover.
Just by the school is this very intriguing sign - Australia's oldest church.
Now, I'm not sure if this is like how in The Rocks, half of the bars have signs which say "Australia's oldest bar", but it's not like there's much else to see in Ebenezer is there?
This is Ebenezer Church. Apparently it is the oldest (still standing) church in the country, and that's pretty cool.
But before I went to take a look I had to inspect this odd looking tree across the road.
Before the church was built, this tree was where the early settlers of the area would hold their prayer services as early as 1803. Now the tree has been fenced off and serves as a beautifully simple monument to the local history of Ebenezer.
Back to the church now. In the "front yard" sits a historic cemetery with many generations of burials, going back as far as 1812, and there is also an old school house where some nice elderly ladies now sell tea and scones.
Ebenezer and it's church sit in a beautiful pocket of The Hawkesbury (and maybe Sydney - I'm not even sure if I should be counting this as a Sydney suburb but I'm going to do it anyway. Sue me). The fact that you can enjoy green pastures with a sprinkling of settler history just a stones throw from Sydney's endless suburbia makes me feel quite lucky to live in this city of ours.
I didn't see much else on my drive from Ebenezer onto "Sydney by Technicality III", except for this guy's humongous ranch.
This looks like the kind of house you need if you want your kids to call you "mother" and/or "father".
Judging by this fence and sign outside of the ranch I'm supposed to keep moving onto my next suburb.
Ebenezer: The pious sure now how to treat their visitors.
More giant pencils are at North Parramatta public school, and Crunch and Sip is a break the kids have at around 10am for fruit and water.
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