St Michael's Church, Waimea West
| St Michael's Church | ||
|---|---|---|
Consecrated 13 November 1867 | by Bishop Andrew Suter | |
| Architecture | ||
| Functional status | Active | |
| Architect(s) | Thomas Brunner | |
| Architectural type | Church | |
| Administration | ||
| Province | Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia | |
| Diocese | Nelson | |
| Parish | Waimea | |
| Clergy | ||
| Minister(s) | Rev. Paul Milson | |
| Official name | St Michael's Church (Anglican)[1] | |
| Designated | 5 April 1984 | |
| Reference no. | 248 | |
St Michael's Church is an heritage listed
History
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A church service was first held in the shed of John Kerr's father on 4 December 1842. Two of his neighbours, Saxton and Tytler, gave land for a church and vicarage, and the first service was held in the church on 24 December 1843.[2] The church was the first church in the Nelson Province.[3][1] The building had an overall length of 52 feet (16 m) and cost £105.[4]
A building committee decided on building a new church and in May 1866, it appointed Thomas Brunner as the architect.[4] The foundation stone for the new church was laid on 24 November 1866, and the ceremony was attended by many prominent people: Colonel Mathew Richmond, Sir David Monro, Arthur Seymour, Brunner as the architect, Edward Baigent, with the service conducted by Bishop Selwyn. The foundation stone was laid by Mrs Blundell.[5] The committee decided on Christmas Day of 1866 that a memorial tablet to Captain Francis H. Blundell was necessary, as he had been one of the driving forces behind the new church building.[4] It was probably New Zealand's first memorial church. Blundell was an immediate neighbour to the church and had died in 1865; he is buried in the church's graveyard on land that he gifted.[1][4] The first service was held in the new church in July 1867.[6] The new Bishop of Nelson, Andrew Suter, was due to arrive later in the year, and hence the church was not consecrated until 13 November 1867.[4][6]
The church community tried to sell the old church, but received no suitable offers. It was used by Mrs Blundell as a Sunday school until it was blown over in high winds.[4]
On 5 April 1984, St Michael's was registered with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (now Heritage New Zealand) as a Category I structure with registration number 248.[1]
St Michael's is located on Waimea West Road within Brightwater (also known as Waimea West), just south of the boundary to Appleby.[7]
References
- ^ a b c d "St Michael's Church (Anglican)". New Zealand Heritage List/Rārangi Kōrero. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
- ^ "Waimea West". Journal of the Nelson Historical Society Incorporated. 3 (3). Nelson: Nelson Historical Society: 21, 27. September 1977. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
- ^ Walrond, Carl (15 November 2012). "Nelson places – Richmond and the Waimea Plains". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f "The History of St Michael's Church". Brightwater Community Anglican Churches. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
- ^ "Laying the Foundation Stone of St Michael's Church Waimea West". Colonist. Vol. X, no. 957. 27 November 1866. p. 2. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
- ^ a b "Consecration of St. Michael's Church, Waimea West". Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle. Vol. XXVI, no. 146. 5 December 1867. p. 4. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
- ^ "St Michael's Waimea West". Google Maps. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
Bibliography
- Palmer, Leonard Russell; Bloyce, J. W.; Stewart, J. (1968). St Michael's Anglican Church: Waimea West, Nelson, New Zealand. Nelson, New Zealand.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
External links
Media related to St Michael's Church, Waimea West at Wikimedia Commons