Around 120 people from the local area and beyond gathered at the church on Sunday, October 11.

With so many there when the service began, people began to spill out the door. 

Mandy Allen of Sydney, her cousin Kerrie Lloyd of Queanbeyan and their families came to Candelo for the service. 

Ms Allen said her great-great-great-grandfather John Doyle was a laborer on the Kameruka Estate.

Also, her great-great-grandfather Samuel Williams, who was born in India and moved to Australia as an orphan, came to the estate as a teenager and lived there for most of his life.

"He was a very well respected man, he was one of the senior staff," Ms Allen said. 

Archdeacon David Ruthven presided over the service, assisted by Lou Oaks. 

Ms Oaks thought the reason so many people came to the annual service was to remember their family connections with the place. 

"It's also a celebration of faith and hope the previous generations had for this area and it's great to come together and celebrate that," Archdeacon Ruthven said. 

After the service, those attending had the chance to look around the church and its cemetery as well as talk to distant relatives.