Richmond was also an
important military post, and inmates from the town's penal colony constructed
many of the buildings, as well as the Richmond Bridge, which dates from 1825
and is the oldest bridge in Australia.Often seen in the background of bridge
photos is the timber-topped St. Luke's Church with beautiful stained-glass
windows. It was so well constructed that the convict carpenter responsible was
pardoned. A short distance to the north, the neo-Gothic St. John's Church,
dating from 1837-59 is the oldest Roman Catholic Church in Australia.
