On 13 March 1827, Stirling's expedition of the Swan River finished in the area, unable to venture further upstream due to lack of navigable water.

"...the richness of the soil, the bright foliage of the shrubs, the majesty of the surrounding trees, the abrupt and red colour banks of the river occasionally seen, and the view of the blue mountains, from which we were not far distant, made the scenery of this spot as bieutiful [sic] as anything of the kind I have ever witnessed..."[2]The distance to Perth for church attendees was unreasonable, so St Mary’s — Middle Swan, was opened in 1840.

It was decided that an additional church would be built on the west side of the river at Upper Swan.

Richard Edwards, Irwin's manager at Henley Park and a master bricklayer, undertook the building of the church.

The cemetery that surrounds the church includes the graves of a number of individuals who were significant to the development of the colony: William Mackie, John Connelly and Richard Edwards are all buried in the graveyard.