AT A PUBLIC MEETING of the Inhabitants of Richmond,
held at the School House, on the 23d October, 1835,
the Rev. Samuel Marsden in the Chair,
It was proposed by Mr. Cox, sen.; seconded by
the Rev. H. T. Stiles ; and resolved unanimously ---
1st.... That it is expedient to erect a Church in
this Town, for the celebration of Divine Worship,
according to the Form of the Protestant Episcopal
Church of England, on the Ground at the end of
George-street, originally set apart for that purpose.
Proposed by Mr. W. Cox, jun.; seconded by Mr.
G. Bowman ; and resolved unanimously ---
2nd.... That, to carry this object into effect, a Committee
be formed, consisting ot the following Members, of whom any
seven be competent to despatch business : ---
Mr. Cox, sen., Fairfield,
Mr. Cox, jun., Hobartville,
Mr. Bell, Belmont,
Mr. George Bowman,
Mr. William Bowman,
Mr. Faithful,
Rev. H. T. Stiles,
Mr. Martin, sen.,
Mr. C. Palmer,
Mr. Dight,
Mr. C. Powell,
Mr. Parnell,
Mr. G. P. Wood.
Proposed by Mr. William Bowman ; seconded by
Mr. Faithful ; and resolved unanimously
3rd..... That, to forward the object of this Meeting,
Funds be immediately raised by voluntary Subscription ---
that the Members of the Committee do agree to use their best
exertions to this end ---
that Subscription Lists be opened at the several Banks ---
and that an Appeal be made to the Public through the medium
of the following Newspapers :---
Sydney Herald, Monitor, Colonist, Australian, and Sydney Gazette,
to be inserted three times in each Newspaper.
Proposed by Mr Martin ; seconded by Mr. William Bowman ;
and resolved unaminously ---
4th.... That William Cox senior, Esq., be requested to take the
office of Treasurer, and the Rev. H. T. Stiles that of Secretary.

THE Protestant Population of Richmond and its Neighbourhood, as shewn by
the last Census, is upwards of 1300. The present Building used as a
Church will barely accommodate one hundred Persons : and as the other
engagements of the Chaplain prevent him from having more than one service
on the Sunday, it is obvious that out of every thirteen Inhabitants who
may wish to participate in the ordinance of Divine Worship, twelve
must be deprived of that privilege, because there is no room for them.
This simple fact constitutes, in itself, a strong appeal to the
liberality of the Residents, not of Richmond only, but of the Colony
generally. It is earnestly hoped that the individual, domestic, and
social advantages to be derived from a due observance of the Public
Worship of Almighty God, will be so appreciated by the Colonists
universally, as to produce a corresponding willingness to contribute,
when, as at present, an opportunity is offered them towards an object
so fraught with benefits to our adopted country, our families, and ourselves.

Contributions will be thankfully received by William Cox, Esq., Hobartville ;
by the Rev. H. T. Stiles, Windsor; by the Rev. S. Marsden, Parramatta;
by the Members of the Committee ; and at either of the Banks in Sydney.

Subscriptions already promised :—
£. s. d.

The Archdeacon....... ...........200 0 0
Mr. Cox, senior, Fairfield.........35 0 0
Mr. Cox, junior..... .....................25 0 0
Mr. George Bowman ..............20 0 0
Mr. William Bowman .... ......... 20 0 0
Mr. Faithful .... ............. .......... 20 0 0
Mr. John Town, junior.......... ..20 0 0
Rev. H.T. Stiles............... ..10 0 0
Mr. Onus.... .................. ..........10 0 0
Mr. John Town, senior. ...........10 0 0
Mr. Martin..... .... ......................6 0 0
Mr. Martin, junior. ... ............ ......6 0 0
Mr. Seymour... ..... ... ..... .........5 0 0
Mr. Cross .... .............. .... .......5 0 0
Mr. Hughes...... . ......... ... .........5 0 0
Mr. Dight ..... ........... ....... .... ....5 0 0
Mr. George Pitt. ..... .......... ..... ..5 0 0
Mr. Robert Williams. ..... .... .....5 0 0
Mr. Price ...... ..... .............. .. ....5 0 0
Mr. G. P. Wood . .... ..... ..... ......2 0 0
Mr. J. Markwell ... ..... ......... ....1 0 0
Mr. Robert Aull ...... ..................1 0 0
Mr. William Farlow..... .............1 0 0
Mr. C. Palmer ...... ...................1 0 0
Mr. Benjamin Cawer.... ...........1 0 0
Mr. George Mortimer..... .........1 0 0
Mrs. Crawley. ... ..... ... ............1 0 0
Mr. John Brown. .... ..... ..........3 0 0
Mr. Thomas Eather..... ... .......2 0 0
Mr. P. M'Alpin...... ... ...............2 0 0

Collected by the Rev. S. Marsden.

Rev. Richard Hill.... ....... .....2 0 0
Mr. R. Jones, M C...... ...... .6 0 0
Mr. R. Smith. ... ..... .......... ..2 0 0
Mr. Thomas Marsden......... .2 0 0
Mr. Caleb Wilson..... ...........2 0 0
Mr. Richard Fitzgerald. &
Mr. Robert Fitzgerald ..... ...5 0 0
Mr. James Chisholm. ... .....5 0 0
Mr. Samuel Terry.... ..........10 0 0
Mr. Edward Terry..... ............2 0 0
Mr. John Terry.... .. ... ...........2 0 9
Mr. P. W. Flower...... ...........2 0 0
Mr. C. S. Marsden. .... .........1 0 0
Mr. John Connell...... .... .......2 0 0
Mr. William Walker...... .......3 0 0
Mr. Thomas Walker..... .......2 0 0

Source:-
The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser
Saturday 21 November 1835
Page 1
Transcription, janilye 2014.

Historical notes: The site of St Peter's church was nominated in Governor Lachlan Macquarie's planned layout for Richmond. He intended to have the church, schoolhouse and burial ground on a very beautiful elevated block immediately above Pugh's Lagoon, a fine basin of fresh water. The burial ground, then 1 hectare, was surveyed by James Meehan and consecrated by the Rev Samuel Marsden and fenced by William Cox. The first burial was George Rouse and contains the headstones of many early Hawkesbury settlers The first school/church opened in 1810. It played an important part in the early life of Richmond. It was situated in Francis Street near the northern corner of the cemetery. The lower floor was the residence of the schoolmaster whilst the upper room was used for school and church purposes.

This building soon became too small to meet the ever increasing congregation and at a meeting chaired by the Reverend Samuel Marsden on 26 November 1835 the inhabitants of Richmond resolved to erect a church for the celebration of divine worship. A notice calling for tenders to erect the church appeared in The Australian on 18 October 1836. The committee formed to forward the project included Mr Cox, Sen,"Fairfield', Mr Cox, Jnr 'Hobartville', Mr Bell, 'Belmont', Mr George Bowman, Mr William Bowman. Mr. Faithful, Rev H.T.Styles, Mr Martin, Snr., Mr. G Palmer, Mr. Digit, Mr C Powell, Mr Parnell and Mr CP Wood. By 1833 the sum of 570 pounds had been subscribed and 200 pounds had been donated by the English Church Society. Tenders were called for the erection of the church in 'The Australian' on October 1836.

Built as a result of the establishment of the Church Act of 1840 St Peter's church was one of four churches consecrated in 1841. The church was built on a site overlooking Ham Common and the Hawkesbury River flats. It was agreed 162 hectares of the common would be given as Glebe land for the church. It was opened by Bishop Broughton on 15 July and designed by Francis Clark and built by James Atkinson who also built St Bartholomew's, Prospect and St Thomas, Mulgoa at the same time. It was designed in the Georgian style in contrast to most of the other churches, except St Batholomew's, which have Gothic style detailing. Clarke was responsible for a number of Sydney houses and the church of St Mary Magdalene at St Marys. A simple rectangular building with a square tower topped with a timber spire the original layout of the pews was to face inwards to the centre of the church. In 1850 a porch designed by E Blackett was added to the northern side and not long after, in 1857, a chancel was added. Once the chancel had been added the internal pew layout was altered to face the chancel. William Woolls, a prominent late nineteenth century writer on the botany and flora of Australia was incumbent at St Peter's from 1873 and from 1877 to 1883, Rural Dean of Richmond. . In the churchyard a small obelisk was built of bricks from the old school church building. THE CEMETERY is older than the church and contains the graves of many early pioneers including John Bowman, Thomas Matcham Pitt and Lt Thomas Hobby of the NSW Corps. Chief Officer at Hawkesbury in 1800 and a supporter of Maquarie. It was the second cemetery dedicated in the Hawkesbury district, around 1814, four years after St Matthews. THE RECTORY was designed by Francis Clarke and completed in 1847 and is said to have been a copy of an English rectory known to Bishop Broughton in the mid 19th century vogue for picturesque rectories. It was added to in 1863 by Edmund Blacket. Later alterations have changed its quality.
Reference: http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/heritageapp/ViewHeritageItemDetails.aspx?ID=3880010