St John's Church, Wellington Explained

St John's Church
Coordinates:-41.291°N 174.7733°W
Denomination:Presbyterian
Architect:Thomas Turnbull
Style:Gothic architecture
Years Built:1885
Dedicated Date:11 December 1885
Location:166–176 Willis Street, Wellington
Country:New Zealand

St John's Church in Willis Street, Wellington, New Zealand, is registered by Heritage New Zealand as a Category 1 Historic Place. Designed by Thomas Turnbull, it opened on 11 December 1885 to replace an earlier church destroyed by fire in 1884.[1] [2] It was registered as a historic place on 18 March 1982, with registration number 228.

The church was built in kauri, totara and rimu by James Wilson. When new in 1885 it could seat 540 people, plus 240 in the gallery. A bell was installed in the spire, and supposedly would be able to be heard at Petone beach if the wind was right.[3] Alterations were made to the church in 1904, and in 1953 Malcolm Bennie designed a porch as a memorial commemorating the centennial of the church.[4] The church celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2003.[5] The church had earthquake-strengthening done in 2013.[6]

Notes and References

  1. News: 10 May 1884. Disastrous Fire: Total Destruction of St John's Church. New Zealand Times. 14 July 2021. Paperspast.
  2. News: 11 Dec 1885. St John's Presbyterian Church. New Zealand Mail. 14 July 2021. Paperspast.
  3. News: 3 Oct 1885. [untitled]]. New Zealand Times. 14 July 2021.
  4. Book: Kernohan, David. Wellington's Old Buildings. Victoria University Press. 1994. 0-86473-267-8. Wellington, New Zealand. 105.
  5. News: Harris. Caroline. 23 Oct 2003. Spirituality and the City. Dominion Post. 14 July 2021. Proquest Australia & New Zealand Newsstream.
  6. News: Donoghue. Tim. 2 Aug 2013. Church Welcomes Brothers in Alms. A 5. Dominion Post. 14 July 2021. Proquest Australia & New Zealand Newsstream.