Two former archbishops of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney joined an array of past campers, leaders and directors as they returned to the Port Hacking Conference Centres on Saturday to celebrate the incredible history of camping ministry in the Diocese.

The celebration centred around the four main growth periods of Christian camping in the Diocese, since its inception in the late 1940s. Diocesan youth camps, Camp Howard, the introduction of school camps with Bible teaching, HSC Study Conferences and the Leaders in Training Conference, as well as Youthworks College were each spotlighted to highlight the growth in youth ministry in the Diocese.

Many of those celebrating hadn't been back to Port Hacking in over 30 years, with a number arriving a day earlier to visit the sites and see the progress that had been made in the last three decades.

Patsy Evans, the director of the first Girl's Camp in 1958, recalled the campers arriving by ferry from Cronulla.

She was thrilled that a paved road now runs the whole way to Port Hacking. 
The celebration paid tribute to Neville "Plug' Bathgate who after spending a year at Pioneer Camp in Canada in 1955 returned to start up a holiday camping program.

Rex Harris, a former holiday camp co-ordinator, recalled how fervent Archbishop Howard Mowll had been in encouraging the use of his first name and not his last for the holiday camping program.

But the day also looked to the future with current Youthworks staff Rachel Lobegeiger and Tom Batty sharing stories about the day-to-day occurrences of the more than 21 000 students who pass through the Port Hacking centres each year on school camps.

Bishop Glenn Davies launched the Youthworks Foundation, an opportunity for wills and legacies to be made and specifically used for youth ministry training.

"The presentations bore witness to the immense impact holiday camping has had in the lives of so many people over such a long period of time. There are people here today who became Christians 45 years ago on holiday camps and have spent their last four and half decades serving Jesus,' said Youthworks CEO Zac Veron. "It is a foundation that is well worth celebrating.'

Jodie McNeill, the Director of Camping Ministries, acknowledged the growth that had occurred over the past 60 years and encouraged those present to dream about what was possible in the next 60 years. He acknowledged the need for new quality conference venues north of Sydney and continued training and equipping youth ministry in the diocese.

The celebration finished with lunch served by the current team of camping ministers.