All Saints Anglican Church

Call it divine intervention or a religious calling, but when you suddenly get the urge to veer off a busy road and head into «nowhereness», only to discover that you have found the first church to be ever built in WA, you realise that GPS stands for GOD POSITIONING SYSTEM!
The All Saints Anglican Church in Belhus is set in the most beautiful and peaceful location and unbeknown to many, including me, it is of major historical significance. The original structure was of mud-​brick and thatched straw, but the first foundation stone was laid on 31 October, 1839. The first service was held on 10 January 1841 and was conducted by the Reverend William Mitchell. A congregation of 69 attended the ceremony.
Yet the history is in the detail, for if you rewind a few years back, you’ll unearth something more significant. It was on this parcel of land, this very site, where Captain James Stirling first made camp in March 1827 when he set out to survey the Swan Valley. Not only was it the first church to be built in Western Australia, it marks the religious beginnings of the colony.
Etched on the walls, in red calligraphy, are these remarkable words by Canon Burton, «No more historic spot can be found in Western Australia.»
And he’s right. And I want to know how come so few people know this? What made me suddenly bicycle up this dirt road, throw down my bike and discover this?
The tiny almost orange-​bricked All Saints Anglican Church sits atop a hill, that dips down into a watery meadow below, who’s banks are now somewhat crumbling and dangerous to navigate. Grave stones murmur and echo travellers past, pioneers from Gloucestershire, Clapham and Halifax in England, tight-​knit families much loved.
But lest we forget, these lands once belonged to others.
A giant and imposing wooden cross rises high, a towering testament to Aboriginal folk that roamed the lands. I’ve never seen a wooden cross so big and powerful in imagery.
Look carefully around the churchyard. Spot the tall cypress trees, these are the symbols of immortality that truth be told, stretch back to pagan times.
The classic myth of the beautiful and much loved Cyparissus (or Greek for Cypress), a young man much loved by the Gods that accidentally killed his young pet deer. Overcome by grief, Cyparissus asked Apollo to do something to help him remember the animal, so Apollo changed the deer into a cypress tree.
From thence on, the cypress tree became the symbol of death, sadness, melancholy. The Romans would plant cypress trees to adorn graveyards. And in pre-​Christian England, the Celt druids adopted the similar yew tree for similar purposes. To represent the immortality of the soul. Later, the cypress and yew trees were adopted as a «holy symbol», planted in every British graveyard… and guess what… as has been done here at All Saints Anglican Church.
I felt really comforted walking around this historic site. Even the herd of curious alpacas in the opposite field left me smiling when I departed, for these animals instinctively protect their flock from danger and fight to protect them.
What a beautiful place.
Please look after it.