We acknowledge that Silver Wattle is on Ngambri and Ngunnawal Country and that sovereignty was never ceded.
Silver Wattle aims to be a safe place for people of all ages, and upholds the Quakers Australian Child Protection Policy and National Principles for Child Safe Organisations
Our Purpose
Silver Wattle is a Quaker Centre promoting social and religious education, and preparation for witness and service. Our mission is to bring healing & inspiration into this difficult & precious world by sharing Quaker tradition, contemplative practices & supporting prophetic witness in seekers of all faiths & none.
Silver Wattle offers:
a refuge from a busy and troubled world
a warm and welcoming space for people of all faiths and none
a place of natural beauty with extensive walks
a contemplative environment with an opportunity of a daily rhythm
somewhere to listen to ourselves, others and the wisdom of the land.
a peaceful 1000 hectare property overlooking Weerewa (Lake George) close to Canberra, accessible by train from Sydney and beyond
delicious, ethically sourced meals catering to most diets
individual rooms and camping options
an ideal venue for small courses & conferences, groups or personal retreats
a large reference library with Quaker writings and an eclectic selection of books from a range of faith and cultural traditions
For more information Contact us
A place for rest and contemplation
“True godliness doesn’t turn men out of the world,
but enables them to live better in it,
and excites their endeavours to mend it.”
What we do
Learning
Our weekend and week-long courses combine the spiritual and the secular, and are offered throughout the year. Click here for the current offerings.
Our reference library has an extensive collection of historic and contemporary Quaker writings, as well as an eclectic selection of books from a range of faith and cultural traditions.
Our visitors are welcome to participate in Silver Wattle’s daily worship and community work routine. This might include learning new skills by accompanying those who work with land care, animals and food production, or assisting with food harvesting and preservation in the garden and kitchen.
Personal or Group Retreats
We offer space for self-managed reflection, silence and conversation in community. Like-minded groups can also hire the space for gatherings, retreats, workshops and meetings.
Healing
Silver Wattle offers visitors the opportunity for individual (re)connection with country and with self.
We invite you to slow down, take time and make time to watch wildlife and landscape; to eat good fresh food to fuel bushwalks on tracks and trails and the lakeside labyrinth; to write, paint, sew, sculpt; to restore, renew and refresh.
A Brief History of Silver Wattle
Silver Wattle was established as a sheep grazing property in the late 1800s. In 1995 it was sold, and a small conference centre established to provide outdoor activities and team-building exercises for community and corporate groups. The property then became the home of St Joseph House of Prayer, a Catholic community.
In 2009, Australia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (we're better known by our less formal names - Quakers or Friends) leased the property for a trial two years to offer courses and retreats. By mid-2010, it was clear to many Friends not only that such a centre was needed for Quakers and others, but there was also a strong leading that Silver Wattle was the right place.
A new company, Silver Wattle Quaker Centre Ltd., was formed in 2010 to purchase the property and operate the centre, and funds were raised by an appeal for donations and loans among Quakers. Silver Wattle came into our hands and under our care on 30 September 2011.