In 1809, Mirinda’s great-great-great-great-great grandfather, John Grono, with a group of other local men, built a church alongside the Hawkesbury River in New South Wales. The church still exists and is the oldest extant church in Australia. It is called Ebenezer Church.
I’ve written about the church a number of times, the last time being in 2017, because we always try to visit when we’re in Australia. It’s become a bit of a pilgrimage. And why not? It’s a wonderful place, particularly on a gorgeous day.
We were there today in order to place Bob and Claire in niches in a wall just down from the church. We were a small family group, each one of us armed with an Australian native flower. As Sharon sang a beautiful Irish song, we each took our flower to the wall, said a few words to Bob and Claire, then laid the flower at the base of the wall.
Mirinda had planned the ceremony perfectly. Everyone agreed it was a wonderful way to say our goodbyes. In particular, the cream tea afterwards which, it was generally felt, paid homage to Claire.
Afterwards, when the family had left, leaving Sharon, Jud and us, Jud suggested we go for a drink at a nearby pub, right next to Australiana Village (though we didn’t know it was next to Australiana Village before we arrived). The five of us sat on the big verandah and had a couple of drinks to the memories of Bob and Claire as well as our joy at spending some time together.
We may also have discussed the possibility of Sharon and Jud visiting us in Sweden next year.
It was a lovely and very simple ceremony though I didn’t get to brush my hair. Mum would’ve been annoyed at that but delighted with Sharon’s song and the cream tea. Dad would love finally having a house on the river.