The settlement of the Nelson region is said to have begun with the landing of the prominent early iwi, Waitaha, in the waka Uruao. This travelled from Hawaiki and the voyagers made landfall on the Boulder Bank circa 850, near what would become Nelson city. From there scouting parties set out to explore the interior while others continued their sea journey down the east coast of the South Island. The settlement of the Nelson region then ensued and was driven by the fact that the area was found to be rich in resources, such as minerals for fashioning tradable items like adzes. Food, in the form of seal, moa and shellfish, was plentiful too and the district also had large tracts of land with fertile soil, or soil whose fertility could be manipulated, suitable for growing kumara and other garden produce. It was because of this abundance of resources that the district is said to have been 'one of the most fought over in New Zealand.' In the immediate vicinity of what was to become known as Appleby, there is evidence of Maori occupation and agricultural activity dating from the thirteenth century. In particular, in 1828 there was a large fortified pa situated where Appleby was to be established, that is until it and its residents were destroyed by a war party led by Te Rauparaha.
A European association with the Nelson area was first established in 1642 when Abel Tasman anchored in what was to be called Murderer's, then Massacre, and now Golden Bay. The result of this first visit was a lethal exchange between the Dutch sailors and Ngati Tumatakokiri. It was centuries after this initial encounter that European interest in the area began in earnest with explorative visits from Captain James Cook and Dumont D'Urville and a few others. Then in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century flax traders and sealers began to frequent the coast around Nelson. However, because there were few whaling stations in the immediate area there was no substantive European settlement until the New Zealand Company's establishment and settlement of Nelson from 1841.
The company explored the potential of several sites for its settlement but Nelson was chosen as the nucleus, despite the generally swampy nature of the low lying areas, because of its harbour and the plentiful supplies of game and fish. It was then a matter of Captain Arthur Wakefield meeting with the various iwi of the region to persuade them to agree to the proposed settlement. This was essentially a confirmation and extension of a land sale organised by the Tory expedition in 1839. The meeting took place at Kaiteriteri and Wakefield eventually negotiated a deal with those in attendance. However, subsequent events demonstrate that in regard to this and some later transactions there were discrepancies in what each party believed they had agreed to. This led to several instances of conflict in the Nelson region during the 1840s, in particular. Perhaps the most well-known occurrence was the 'Wairau Affray' in 1843.
It was not until the 1850s that the Nelson community and other towns in the area began to coalesce. Provincial government was established in 1853, and most of the farm land from Wakapuaka to Brightwater was occupied by this date. By the 1850s all of the major Christian denominations could also boast of clergy and associated buildings in and around Nelson. Between 1853 and 1858 the European population of the district had risen from 4,587 to over 7,000 and continued to grow and prosper into the 1860s and 1870s with the aid of the local gold rushes and the nationwide demand for the area's produce. This growth in population can be seen in the coinciding increase in churches and school buildings which were necessary to supplement those already established.
The extension of settlement beyond Nelson town and the established of farms was a recognised necessity in order for the town to progress. However, this was problematic because much of the surrounding district was mountainous, densely forested, or was covered in fern or swamp, and the soil was of inconsistent levels of fertility. Like other places in the Nelson region, Appleby, formerly Lower West Waimea, was named in the 1850s after an early local settler's home town in England. When more people came to Appleby they found that the fertility of the soil, which had been proven through the extensive gardens that local Maori had had in the area, meant that the establishment of farms and orchards in the area was not as arduous as elsewhere. The condition of access roads and the barrier of the Waimea River meant the community was quite isolated though. Through the perseverance of early settlers, by the 1870s Appleby, like other places in the district, was a well established farming community, but it differed in that its main focus was dairy farming. Many of the famers also had close familial links with the majority of other local households. The main families were the Bests, Newports and Giffords, many of whom are represented among the individuals interred in St Alban's Church's churchyard cemetery. By 1875 Appleby featured a store, carpenter's workshop, and a hotel, as well as St Alban's Church.
Rural religion and St Alban's Church:
Nelson in the 1840s seems to be what one would expect of a 'frontier' society; horribly unhygienic by modern standards and rough behaviour abounded. One solution to this, which the New Zealand Company approved of, was the influence of religion. Unlike the later settlements Canterbury and Otago, Nelson was not founded around denominational lines and as such all the major Christian sects were able to gain a foothold, although the Church of England was by far the most popular. In the early 1850s Nelson, with its disparate religious communities was accorded the distinction of being the seat of the Anglican Diocese. This confidence was rewarded by the 1870s with Anglicanism becoming ingrained in the city and throughout the district. This coincided with a second wave of church building around this period and the construction of St Alban's in this period is reflective of the entrenchment of Christianity throughout the region.
The first divine service in Waimea was reported to have taken place at the home of a Mr Kerr in 1842 but it would take several decades for an Anglican church to be built in Appleby. After an acre of land was gifted by Francis William Newdigate in 1864, the church trustees set about making their task of building St Alban's Church a reality. The location of the church was later said to be 'well selected for centrality of situation,' which is especially important in a rural setting. The church was designed by Winfield Higgins of West Waimea and it is likely that G.A. Thorburn, the local school teacher, was one of the main builders on the job as he is noted as being involved with the construction in some capacity and that one of his major passions and hobbies was woodworking and carving. The foundation stone for the church was laid by Bishop Andrew Burn in November 1867, and the building was then completed, dedicated and consecrated all in 1868. This means that St Alban's Church is one of the oldest surviving Anglican churches in the large geographical area known as the Waimea Plain.
Like other country churches, the construction of the building relied greatly on the community being motivated to see it happen and then to back this up with financial or other contributions. Upon completion St Alban's Church was described as 'picturesque' and featuring a chancel of 'bold and proper dimensions.' The fundraising that had taken place in order to construct the church was so successful that all almost all the debt had been cleared by the time it was consecrated. The raising of £382 was a very large sum for the size of the community at the time which makes their effort remarkable and is perhaps indicative of the level of their commitment and desire for a new church, as is the large turnout for its consecration. The community intended to continue their good work in regard to the building by eventually adding a tower and spire. However, these plans never came to fruition.
The churchyard was also planted at the time of the church's construction with boundary hedges and trees, and an impressive yew tree remains from this initial planting. Given that St Albans is named after the English martyr and that it is a Church of England building, it is entirely appropriate that a yew tree was planted in the churchyard as it is a traditional churchyard tree in England. Burials in the churchyard's cemetery took place from 1869 when the area was consecrated, and have continued to the present.
Later in 1880 it became apparent that there was a need within the wider district for a Sunday School. Philip Best, who is interred in the church's cemetery under the yew tree, owned the property which neighboured the churchyard and he generously donated a triangular section of his land to the church in order for the Sunday School to be built. Through voluntary labour and donations from the community the building was completed in 1883. At the beginning of the twentieth century social events were frequently organised and staged in the Sunday School. These generally involved music, dinner put on by the ladies, and competitions. These events benefited the church financially as well as being greatly anticipated social occasions for the whole of the local community.
Small country churches 'made a statement that religious belief was important to country folk. Moreover, the country church often became the focus for community activity well before the advent of the community hall.' Despite steady population growth many of the rural settlers still lived in relative isolation. Therefore occasions such as church openings and services were important social gatherings, particularly for women and children who did not have the same opportunities as many of the men to mingle.
While Appleby was a parochial district, it relied on ministers from the Richmond Parish to perform services at the church. It has only ever had a permanent minister during a short period in the mid twentieth century. Therefore, the ministers had to travel, until the 1920s usually on horseback or bicycle, around the churches in the area completing a circuit which saw them hold services at Stoke in the morning, Appleby in the afternoon, and then finish the day at Richmond in the evening. Being a rural church many parishioners had to travel quite a distance to get to services as well and therefore attendance was often affected by the weather. The act of getting to church and the Sunday School also helped forge a sense of community spirit amongst the scattered population. For example, one generous and fervent local John Roby, who was also in charge of Appleby School from 1880-1894, would drive his buggy around the area, filling it to capacity with children to encourage Sunday School attendance.
Maintenance of the church, Sunday School, and the churchyard has always relied greatly on the generosity of the community it served for financial contributions or labour during working bees. However, when additions such as a porch were considered in 1900 there was not sufficient funds to drive the project any further. Later that year the church did receive a donation, which enhanced the church, from Archdeacon Wright and his family. They gifted the eastern coloured glass windows to the church as a replacement for the original frosted glass predecessors, as well as carpet. Prior to this the only floor lining had been mats.
