The proximity to the Nepean River and South Creek qualifies it as a key area for food resources for indigenous groups.

Situated on fertile floodplains and well known for its abundant agriculture, Green Hills (as it was originally called) supported the colony through desperate times.

[1] Governor Macquarie's prompt action in ordering the church to be pulled down and a fresh start must have spurred Greenway on to produce a new and grander design.

[2][1] Macquarie's leadership was investigated by an enquiry into the colony's affairs and the Bigge Report concluded that a free and penal society could co-exist but with tighter controls on convict management.

Samuel Marsden, principal Chaplain of the Colony, consecrated the Church on 8 December 1822 and the Hawkesbury settlers attended the service in large numbers.

Built by William Cox, local builder and developer, the stables were completed during 1825 from plans prepared by either Francis Greenway or Standish Harris.

From church records it is conclusive that by the 1890, the stables were in a dilapidated state as outlined by complaints by the then rector, the Rev Gerard D'Arcy Irvine.

[1] In 1965, the church was restored by the NSW Government and the National Trust of Australia with money raised by the Trust's women's committee, which had raised a substantial sum of money in a public appeal to assist the conservation of three properties: the church, Experiment Farm Cottage, and Lindesay.

[7] Also in 2016 to celebrate 200 years since Governor Macquarie laid its foundation stone, the parish council commissioned a book on the Church, written by Ian Jack and Jan Barkley-Jack.

The dominant element is a sculptural square tower with octagonal cupola, axially arranged with a rectangular nave and semi circular apse.

[1] An exceptional two storey sandstock brick house of symmetrical design with central front door and elegant fanlight surmounted by a carved timber cornice.

An unusual feature for a building of this type in Australia is the central brick pediment breaking the simple line of the hipped roof.

The internal joinery pieces are of cedar, as are interior folding window shutters and an elegant semi circular staircase.

This includes the sandstone flagging, most of the Flemish bond brick walls, one lathe and plaster ceiling, the entire roof structure except the shingles, one stall, one window and the majority of the doors, particularly the frames.

The rectory stables dominate the landscape above the Hawkesbury flood plain, they form a highly visible landmark precinct.

[6][1] St Matthew's Anglican Church was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 having satisfied the following criteria.

William Cox, the builder, was one of the principal building contractors and road makers in rural New South Wales in the Macquarie period and the 1820s.

[6][1] The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales.

The Stables: as a domestic utility, barely visible from the roadway, for many years unlike the church or rectory, did not attract particular local esteem.

In recent times however, concern among parishioners about the condition of the stables has let to the formation of a community committee specifically to be a task force for their conservation.

Stables: The construction, both from brickwork and roof, is significant evidence of William Cox's style and also of the specifications drawn up by the government architect, whether Greenway or Harris.

The stables are a physical reminder of the indispensability of the horse for a nineteenth century country clergyman performing parochial rounds and servicing outlying churches.

[10] This Wikipedia article was originally based on St. Matthew's Anglican Church, Rectory, Stables & Cemetery, entry number 15 in the New South Wales State Heritage Register published by the State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) 2018 under CC-BY 4.0 licence, accessed on 13 October 2018.