The East Taieri Presbyterian Church, a notable landmark situated on a small hill overlooking the Taieri plain, was opened in 1870. The parish is one of Otago's oldest, formed in the 1850s as the second ministerial charge of the Free Church settlement. The parish originally included the entire Taieri Plain, a strongly Presbyterian district. As the population grew the district was subdivided to form further parishes, but East Taieri, the mother church, has continued as a large and dynamic congregation to this day.
In 1853 the first combined school/church was built, Rev. William Will, the parish's first minister, arriving the following year. The building soon became inadequate for the needs of the growing community and was extended in the early 1860s. In 1869 the congregation decided to build a new church, large enough to seat 500. They selected as the site a high point behind the existing building, on the close to seven acres of land set aside by the authorities of the Otago colony for the church, manse and glebe.
Of the eleven plans presented to them, the Deacons' Court selected a design by Dunedin architect R.A. Lawson for a substantial building in Gothic style, to be made of brick with cement facings and stone spire. They employed the firm Hunter & Goodfellow to construct the building. The cost, including builders' and architect's fees and furnishings, was ₤1854. Over 1871 and 1872 the Church had a prolonged dispute with the building contractors. They withheld payment for 'extras' due to their dissatisfaction with the standard of workmanship. The builders took the congregation to court and were awarded ₤188, with a further hefty charge for legal advice. The Deacons' Court later refused to pay Lawson's entire fee: as they had lost the court case, they now attributed the building's problems to "the many defects errors and discrepancies in the plans and specifications" prepared by the architect. The building's faults ranged from weak foundations to loose slates to concerns that the spire might collapse, and repairs and maintenance involved considerable expense for the congregation. The most visible element of these repairs is the new buttresses added to the building in the 1920s to provide further support for the walls.
Despite these difficulties, many consider the church design to be a great success. In 1905 the Cyclopedia of New Zealand commented that it was "often spoken of as the prettiest country church in New Zealand," and the centennial history described it as "one of the most beautiful Presbyterian churches in New Zealand."
In addition to repairs and renovations, the church has undergone several alterations to fit the changing needs of the congregation over the years. In 1897, prompted by a suggestion from the Christian Endeavour Society, the vestry was extended by 10 feet to give a larger room for meetings. In 1911 the parish built a separate hall to cater for the social and educational needs of the congregation.
The greatest change to the original church came in the 1990s, with the addition of a substantial administrative and fellowship centre at the rear of the building. Designed by architect E.J. McCoy in brick and Oamaru stone to complement the original building, the centre was built in two stages, opening in 1991 and 1999. It houses offices for the church and various community groups, in addition to a kitchen and meeting rooms of various sizes.
An outstanding feature of the church is the twelve stained glass windows added over the course of the twentieth century. The most recent, designed by Beverley Shore Bennet and crafted by Paul Hutchins, was installed in 1983 in memory of Rev. J.C. Mathews, minister from 1953 to 1976. The other eleven windows are the work of John Brock, an English craftsman who arrived in Dunedin in 1914. Two are memorials to the East Taieri servicemen who died in World Wars I and II, eight remember various ministers and members of the congregation, and the final window - "Look to the rock from which you were hewn, to the quarry from which you were dug" - is in memory of the pioneers.
In recent years the church interior has undergone various modifications to suit the changing style of worship of the congregation. The pulpit has been completely removed to give a flexible unfurnished platform at the front of the church, and the pews which once stood on both sides of the pulpit area have gone to make room for a band. Beside the church lies another item of interest, the belfry, dating from 1901. Dunedin firm A. & T. Burt made the bell. Originally located between the church and manse, the belfry was moved to the west side of the church in 1904. During restoration in 1992 it was moved to its current site to make it more visible. Other notable features outside the church itself are the magnificent old trees in the grounds. The Dunedin City Council has listed six of these as significant trees - a totara, three oaks, a deodar and an ash.
The East Taieri Presbyterian Church is a building of aesthetic, architectural, historical and spiritual significance. Designed by one of Victorian New Zealand's most notable architects, it is a particularly attractive building which forms a notable landmark on the Taieri plain. It has been an important spiritual centre for the district since 1870, hosting a large congregation to this day. It stands as a memorial to its past members and clergy, who have played a notable role in the history of the district.
In 1853 the first combined school/church was built, Rev. William Will, the parish's first minister, arriving the following year. The building soon became inadequate for the needs of the growing community and was extended in the early 1860s. In 1869 the congregation decided to build a new church, large enough to seat 500. They selected as the site a high point behind the existing building, on the close to seven acres of land set aside by the authorities of the Otago colony for the church, manse and glebe.
Of the eleven plans presented to them, the Deacons' Court selected a design by Dunedin architect R.A. Lawson for a substantial building in Gothic style, to be made of brick with cement facings and stone spire. They employed the firm Hunter & Goodfellow to construct the building. The cost, including builders' and architect's fees and furnishings, was ₤1854. Over 1871 and 1872 the Church had a prolonged dispute with the building contractors. They withheld payment for 'extras' due to their dissatisfaction with the standard of workmanship. The builders took the congregation to court and were awarded ₤188, with a further hefty charge for legal advice. The Deacons' Court later refused to pay Lawson's entire fee: as they had lost the court case, they now attributed the building's problems to "the many defects errors and discrepancies in the plans and specifications" prepared by the architect. The building's faults ranged from weak foundations to loose slates to concerns that the spire might collapse, and repairs and maintenance involved considerable expense for the congregation. The most visible element of these repairs is the new buttresses added to the building in the 1920s to provide further support for the walls.
Despite these difficulties, many consider the church design to be a great success. In 1905 the Cyclopedia of New Zealand commented that it was "often spoken of as the prettiest country church in New Zealand," and the centennial history described it as "one of the most beautiful Presbyterian churches in New Zealand."
In addition to repairs and renovations, the church has undergone several alterations to fit the changing needs of the congregation over the years. In 1897, prompted by a suggestion from the Christian Endeavour Society, the vestry was extended by 10 feet to give a larger room for meetings. In 1911 the parish built a separate hall to cater for the social and educational needs of the congregation.
The greatest change to the original church came in the 1990s, with the addition of a substantial administrative and fellowship centre at the rear of the building. Designed by architect E.J. McCoy in brick and Oamaru stone to complement the original building, the centre was built in two stages, opening in 1991 and 1999. It houses offices for the church and various community groups, in addition to a kitchen and meeting rooms of various sizes.
An outstanding feature of the church is the twelve stained glass windows added over the course of the twentieth century. The most recent, designed by Beverley Shore Bennet and crafted by Paul Hutchins, was installed in 1983 in memory of Rev. J.C. Mathews, minister from 1953 to 1976. The other eleven windows are the work of John Brock, an English craftsman who arrived in Dunedin in 1914. Two are memorials to the East Taieri servicemen who died in World Wars I and II, eight remember various ministers and members of the congregation, and the final window - "Look to the rock from which you were hewn, to the quarry from which you were dug" - is in memory of the pioneers.
In recent years the church interior has undergone various modifications to suit the changing style of worship of the congregation. The pulpit has been completely removed to give a flexible unfurnished platform at the front of the church, and the pews which once stood on both sides of the pulpit area have gone to make room for a band. Beside the church lies another item of interest, the belfry, dating from 1901. Dunedin firm A. & T. Burt made the bell. Originally located between the church and manse, the belfry was moved to the west side of the church in 1904. During restoration in 1992 it was moved to its current site to make it more visible. Other notable features outside the church itself are the magnificent old trees in the grounds. The Dunedin City Council has listed six of these as significant trees - a totara, three oaks, a deodar and an ash.
The East Taieri Presbyterian Church is a building of aesthetic, architectural, historical and spiritual significance. Designed by one of Victorian New Zealand's most notable architects, it is a particularly attractive building which forms a notable landmark on the Taieri plain. It has been an important spiritual centre for the district since 1870, hosting a large congregation to this day. It stands as a memorial to its past members and clergy, who have played a notable role in the history of the district.
