St James’ Church (Presbyterian)

76 Moresby Avenue; School Lane, WAIHĪ

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St James’ Church (Presbyterian) was constructed in 1905-6, when Waihī was ‘one of the great gold-mining districts of the world’. Designed by local architect, Robert Simms, the well-preserved Gothic Revival church directly reflects the expansion and prosperity of the settlement after the development of new methods for extracting gold. Superseding a simple Mission Hall shared with the local Wesleyan community, the more imposing, purpose-built church directly indicates the importance of the Presbyterian community in Waihī, whose members included successive managers of the Martha Mine as well as businessmen and ordinary mineworkers. Used for worship until 2013, the place is historically associated with events of local and national importance including the 1912 Waihī Miners’ Strike. Waihī has connections with many iwi. Following the opening of Ohinemuri District for mining in the 1880s after local iwi opposition, a township at Waihī formed around the goldmine at Pūkewa (Martha Hill) where gold was found in 1878. With the introduction of a new method for extracting gold - the cyanide process - in 1894, Waihī became a major goldmining centre. The settlement rapidly expanded, attracting large numbers of miners and settlers from varied backgrounds and faiths and was the largest town in the South Auckland region by 1906. The first place of worship used by the Presbyterians, known as the Mission Hall, was built in 1895. However, within a decade the congregation had outgrown the building following a religious revival at the settlement. In 1905-6, St James’ Church (Presbyterian) was erected beside it. Described as ‘a large and handsome structure’, the timber Gothic Revival church contrasted with the plainer design of the earlier hall. It was built of heart rimu and could seat 500 parishioners - or approximately a tenth of Waihī borough’s population. Gothic Revival was an important architectural style in colonial New Zealand, encompassing a wide range of expressions from simple rural forms to more elaborate urban examples. The design of St James’ Church included pitched roofs and gable ends, finials, buttresses, and lancet windows, as well as a cruciform plan. Internally, its nave and transepts featured an impressive timber ceiling, open to collar height. The building’s cruciform plan was completed by a rear vestry under a lean-to roof. The Church was subsequently involved in important social issues at Waihī. This included support for the No-licence movement, which successfully campaigned for alcohol prohibition in Ohinemuri County, including Waihī, in 1908. The 1912 Waihī Miners’ Strike directly affected the Presbyterian community, which included both the Martha Mine manager, James Gilmour, ordinary mineworkers, and the church minister, Reverend William White. From 1923 onwards, ANZAC Day services were held in the church. After the Second World War (1939-45), the church was associated with the New Life Movement - which sought to grow Presbyterian communities. In circa 1954, minor changes were made to the church interior by noted Auckland architects M.K. and R.F. Draffin reflecting changing theological needs as Presbyterian churches moved towards a more inclusive use of space. The building ceased being used by its congregation in 2013. Since demolition of the adjacent Mission Hall in 1992, the building is the oldest remaining Presbyterian building in Waihī and the only structure of this denomination to survive from Waihī’s early gold boom.

St James’ Church (Presbyterian), Waihi. CC BY 3.0 Image courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org | Ulrich Lange, Bochum, Germany | 29/01/2017 | Ulrich Lange, Bochum, Germany - Wikimedia Commons
St James’ Church (Presbyterian), Waihi. Interior detail | Robin Byron | 16/08/2019 | Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga
St James’ Church (Presbyterian), Waihi. Interior detail | Robin Byron | 16/08/2019 | Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga

Location

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List Entry Information

Overview

Detailed List Entry

Status

Listed

List Entry Status

Historic Place Category 2

Access

Private/No Public Access

List Number

732

Date Entered

4th April 1983

Date of Effect

5th May 2020

City/District Council

Hauraki District

Region

Waikato Region

Extent of List Entry

Extent includes part of the land described as Sec 24 Town of Waihi (RT SA10B/601), South Auckland Land District, and the building known as St James’ Church (Presbyterian) thereon. (Refer to map in Appendix 1 of the List entry report for further information).

Legal description

Sec 24 Town of Waihi (RT SA10B/601) South Auckland Land District

Location Description

NZTM Easting: 1851380.1 NZTM Northing: 5857986.6 (approximate centre of church building)

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