Cultural Significance

This historic place was registered under the Historic Places Act 1993. The following text is from the original Recommendation for Classification report considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration. Cultural/Social: This building has served as a religious and social meeting place for the local community for over one hundred years. Spiritual: Generations of local Anglican families have used this church as a place of worship and still continue to do so.

Historic Significance

Historical Significance or Value This historic place was registered under the Historic Places Act 1993. The following text is from the original Recommendation for Classification report considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration. Historical: St John the Divine is a typical small nineteenth century rural church serving also as a memorial to those who died in the two world wars.

Physical Significance

This historic place was registered under the Historic Places Act 1993. The following text is from the original Recommendation for Classification report considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration. Aesthetic: The design of St John the Divine presents a clear and competent expression of ecclesiologist principles. Architectural: The church architecture of Frederick de Jersey Clere is well known for its high quality. The design of St John the Divine is a well resolved essay in Norman/Early English Gothic revival, employing New Zealand vernacular techniques in its construction.

Detail Of Assessed Criteria

This historic place was registered under the Historic Places Act 1993. The following text is from the original Recommendation for Classification report considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration. a) The extent to which the place reflects important or representative aspects of New Zealand history: The history of St John the Divine is typical of an Anglican church in a small rural township. c) The potential of the place to provide knowledge of New Zealand history: The church displays a number of interpretive devices such as rolls of honour, memorial gates, a plaque and stained glass windows. These help provide knowledge about the history of the Anglican church in the local community. e) The community association with, or public esteem for, the place: f) The potential of the place for public education: St John the Divine has formed a close association with the community not only as a small rural church but also as a memorial to their war dead and a local politician. g) The technical accomplishment or value, or design of the place: St John's has the principal features of a quality Clere country church. The style is essentially Norman with the floor plan displaying the correct arrangement of baptistery/vestry, nave and chancel in that order with the chancel/apse at the east end. Other standard features are the roof, which is pitched at the ecclesiologically correct angle of 60 degrees, and the exterior which is clad in vertical board and batten. The design also features a porch to the south side of the building, a main entrance facing west, timber window frames with straight pointed heads and interior decoration such as three lancet windows in stained glass and high quality; wood carving. Conclusion: St John the Divine, Manaia, is recommended for registration as a Category II as a place of historical and cultural heritage significance and value. The building is a good example of a timber country church designed by architect, Frederick de Jersey Clere. As a church in a small rural township it is held in high esteem by the local community.