The first St Paul's church was built here in 1850, right on the bend in Sydney Road. The current building shown above dates from about 1897.

I first visited twenty years ago when my oldest son - William and Thomas' Much Older Brother - sang there as a member of the visiting St Patrick's Cathedral Choir.

Later we moved into the parish. William was baptised here in 2005; Thomas in 2006.

Just last Sunday morning, after the service, I carried William up to the bell tower for the first time (small window beneath the shuttered arch windows in the picture) and he watched a bellringer heave the massive rope to ring out Easter Day.

The bell will not ring again soon. Three nights ago, someone set two fires in the church. One succeeded.