Her decision and subsequent visit is still remembered today in the name Malaita Point – a portion of the cliff top which overlooks the Jamison Valley, just along from Scenic World.įrom 1905 onward, ever growing numbers of people to the Conventions determined the need to house the visitors in a large tent, or marquee, erected in Khandala’s grounds. While visiting the 1904 Convention, Florence Young declared she would travel to Malaita Island in the Solomons to visit Solomon Island Christians she had known at Bundaberg. This inclusion was also in stark contrast with the ‘White Australia Policy’ which became the law at the time. Florence brought eight Solomon Islander Christian men with her, and their inclusion in the 1904 Convention highlighted the motto adopted by the Convention of “All One In Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). This practise became known, and as more and more people visited, the Youngs began to think of hosting a more formal gathering or Convention at their home, each Christmas.Īnd so, in 1903 the Katoomba Christian Convention (KCC) was born.Īt Christmas in 1904, Ernest Young’s sister Florence travelled down from Bundaberg in Queensland to join her family in Katoomba. Some of the friends who stayed with Ernest and Margaret were Ministers of Religion, for the Young’s were Christian people who wanted to share their home and their faith in Jesus – in fact with any visitor who stayed with them.Įrnest Young developed the habit of, following breakfast, sharing the Scriptures with visitors who stayed at Khandala. In the foreground to the right is Khandala, the site of the first Convention View of the Katoomba Christian Convention centre across the Jamison Valley. The two-storey Swiss style home, with its views of Jamison Valley, also became a destination for the friends of Ernest and Margaret Young. One such family were the Youngs who built a home in the late 1890’s at the end of Katoomba Street, which they named Khandala. In the late 19th Century, holidaymakers began to visit the Blue Mountains during Summer, to enjoy the region’s cooler temperatures, fresh air, waterfalls and views.įor some families, the attraction of staying in the upper Mountains over Summer lead them to build holiday homes, where they would stay for weeks at a time. Katoomba Christian Convention 1903 – 2003. The information is based on Stuart Braga’s 2003 book A Century Preaching Christ. The latest story from the Summer 2016 edition concerns the history of the Katoomba Christian Convention. The full article appears below.
As part of Paul’s history work in the Blue Mountains, he regularly contributes history articles to the Scenic World Tourist Magazine. During our time at the CMS Summer School at Katoomba, our family has been greatly blessed by the hospitality of Paul Innes, who operates Blue Mountains History Tours.
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