That same year a stained-glass memorial window was installed in the sanctuary of the chapel depicting Christ the Shepherd leading his sheep through a gate into the safety of a pen. In 1903 the first anniversary of the disaster was commemorated by a service at the church, an annual event which has become Australia’s longest continuous act of commemoration. Nearly one third of those killed in the 1902 explosion are buried in the cemetery surrounding the Anglican church which, over the years, has become a focal point for commemorations of the disaster and the history of the village. The disaster remains the worst industrial accident in Australian history and left an indelible mark on the local community. On 31st July 1902, an explosion at the nearby Mount Kembla colliery claimed the lives of 96 men and boys. In 1860 Cordeaux schoolteacher Alfred Wilson donated the Church Bible, and that same year the chapel was licensed as a place of worship. The American Creek Chapel initially doubled as a schoolhouse when it was first opened and prior to its establishment, Anglican services were held in nearby Cordeaux. Elizabeth Stafford was born on the island of St Helena where her father had served as one of Napoleon Bonaparte's guards. The Staffords were an established Mount Kembla family who had settled in Mount Kembla in the early 1840s from Benares, India, where William was a quartermaster with the 50th Regiment. The land was purchased from well-known local pioneers William and Elizabeth Stafford. It was built on land purchased for a school in March 1857 by three trustees including the first Rector of Wollongong, Reverend Matthew Devenish, together with Joseph Wood Wilshire and Henry John Rixon. The American Creek Chapel opened in 1858, so-called in reference to the nearby water source that was named for the cedar getters (in fact Canadians rather than Americans) who made camp behind Mount Kembla in the 1840s. Originally called the American Creek Chapel, it is the only church to remain in operation in the village in the 21st century and has become a significant historical landmark in Mount Kembla.
The Mount Kembla Soldiers’ and Miners’ Memorial Church is one of five churches that were established in Mount Kembla in the late 1800s as the village grew following the official 1883 opening of the mine. Paperback book with blue cover, 'Golden Bells: Hymns for Young People', published by Scripture Union & C.S.S.M., London. Paperback book 'Golden Bells: Hymns for Young People'
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