Inception

The first Church of England service in the West was held at the Granary at Bathurst in 1822 by the Reverend Samuel Marsden. From 1829-1840 the Reverend John Espey Keane, M.A. administered to the wants of the scattered settlers between Bathurst and Carcoar.

By the late 1830s. the first permanent courthouse at Carcoar served as a church and services were also held at Coombing once a month in a building which was never consecrated. He was succeeded by the Reverend Charles Woodward 1841-1844 and the Reverend William Lisle 1844-1845.

Parish

The Parish was formed in 1845 the when the Reverend William Grant Broughton, Bishop of Australia from 1836-1847 visited the district and performed the rites of confirmation and baptism on 26th January and on 27th January laid the foundation stone of a church to be called St. Paul's on a site granted for the purpose by Government.

Design

The chosen architect was Edmund Blacket. Although the foundation stone was laid in 1845 building did not commence until the end of 1847. Work progressed so rapidly that it was completed and in use within a year. The Honourable Thomas Icely of Coombing Park paid for the church and was its first trustee.

Foundations

St. Paul's is a small brick church with granite foundations, Sydney sandstone Perpendicular Gothic tracery, Hartley stone window surrounds and trim and Sydney sandstone font.

The church has an unusual crossing tower planned by Blacket, but not necessarily built exactly as he designed when finally it was erected in 1874 by James Shakespeare, contractor..

Appearence

The general appearance of St. Paul's relates very closely to the medieval church of St. Peter's Cassington in Oxfordshire (1120).

Blacket is known to have owned a book Anglican Church Architect (1841) by James Barr in which St. Peter's is illustrated and described.

Concecration

On 22nd April ,1848 the first appointed rector of St. Paul's the Reverend Thomas Beagley Naylor (1845-1848) and parishioners made application for the celebration of public worship and administration of the sacraments “until the same shall be duly consecrated”.

Bishop Broughton consecrated the church on the 6th December, 1849. St. Paul's became the second consecrated Anglican church west of the Blue Mountains, three years after the Holy Trinity, Kelso.

Anniversary 100th

The 100th anniversary of the consecration of St. Paul's was held on the 11th December, 1949. The service was officiated at the morning Family Eucharist and afternoon Centenary services by the Lord Bishop of the Diocese the Right Reverend A L Wylde M.A. and Doctor T M Robinson, Warren of St. John's College.

Before the Eucharist the Bishop dedicated the altar and riddles donated by Mrs. Selwyn King.

Sesquicentenary

The 150th anniversary Service of Commemoration was held on the 5th December, 1999, officiated by The Most Reverend Harry Goodhew, Archbishop of Sydney and Metropolitan New South Wales.

Anniversary 175th

Officiated by the Reverend Mark Calder Bishop, Anglican Diocese Bathurst 26th January, 2020.

Interior

St. Paul's interior is beautified by many handsome memorials, tablets and furnishings. Three chaste memorial windows to the memory of the Honourable Thomas Icely and his two daughters who died within a few weeks of each other in 1856 are placed in the sanctuary.

There are other magnificent stained glass windows adorning the church. On the walls are memorial tablets to members of pioneers' families. A fine Richardson organ donated by parishioners in memory of Mrs. Henn-Genneys is at the rear of the church.