Wellington’s Oldest Church – Christ Church, Taita

This pretty little church has beckoned me for years.  “Come and visit”, it seemed to be saying as we drove past along the Eastern Hutt Road on countless occasions, going about our busy lives.  On Sunday afternoon, at long last, the time had arrived to see this fine piece of early architecture in the Hutt Valley.  After visiting the Vintage Machinery Club in the morning, followed by  a nice leisurely lunch at a local cafe, I had arranged for our group to take a guided tour through the church in the early afternoon.    Janice, the Secretary of the Preservation Society, welcomed us inside the church and gave us a short potted history.  Christ Church was built by and for the early European settlers to this area.  The land was gifted by the Hon A G  Tollemache, designed by Sydney Hirst, using heart totara timber donated by John Daysh, and pit sawn by Abraham Harris. The doors opened for the first service on New Year’s Day, 1854.

Christ Church, Taita

An arson attack in 1989 left the interior of the church severely damaged.  Descendants of the pioneers and their supporters repaired the church, working from a set of plans which had been drawn up by a student who had completed a thesis just before the fire.  These plans take pride of place just inside the doorway to the church.  The interior of the church has a warm mellow feel to it from the lovely totara panelling.  A refurbished reed organ from 1902 provides the music for services, and the original font shows signs of surviving the fire.

Interior view

Reed organ

The font, showing fire damage

Interestingly, it is the rear of the church which faces the street.  This came about because in 1947 a railway extension crossed the original High Street entrance, isolating the church from its congregation.  A proposal to move the church caused a public outcry, and in 1950 a meeting voted for the church to remain where it was.  This was the first time New Zealanders had lobbied to save an historic building, and led to the formation of the Christ Church Preservation Society.  The government passed the New Zealand Historic Places Act in 1954, followed by the establishment of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.  This shows that indeed from a germ of an idea to save one little church, the care and preservation of early New Zealand heritage is hopefully assured. Christ Church is still a consecrated church, but does not have it’s own congregation or minister.  It is used occasionally for weddings, funerals and baptisms, with ministers from other areas taking the service.

The graveyard at the back of the church (originally the front) is full of history.  The names of the early settlers live on as Hutt Valley street names, such as Boulcott, Mabey, Percy, Judd and Riddler.  The beautiful old trees are original plantings.

The peaceful graveyard

Manihera Matangi, chief of Ngatiawa, is buried in the graveyard.  He supported European settlement in the area and his father signed the Treaty of Waitangi.  His tombstone reads, “One whose conduct of affairs was beneficial to European as well as to his own race”. 

  Matangi family graves

This church is a little gem, and we all enjoyed our very informative visit.  Many thanks to Janice for giving up her Sunday afternoon and providing such an insight into this piece of early Hutt Valley heritage, (and for the afternoon tea).  It took me a long time to get here, and I am so pleased I finally made it.