Built in stages between 1865 and 1913, St Luke’s Anglican Church was designed by Dunedin architects Edward Rumsay and Adam Jackson in Gothic style and has architectural, historical and spiritual significance as an outstanding landmark in Oamaru. It has been the spiritual home for the parish for over 150 years.

Anglican services were held in Oamaru from the early 1860s, in a variety of makeshift venues such as the Oamaru goods shed, the Greta Street school and the courthouse. Oamaru became a parish in 1864. In July 1862, the Reverend Algernon Gifford was licensed to the township and pastoral district of Oamaru, and the parish set to work raising funds for a church. Dunedin architects Edward Rumsey and Adam Jackson won the competition to design the church, with William Armson as supervising architect, and James Bruce as the contractor. Right Reverend Lord Bishop of Christchurch laid the foundation stone and dedicated the cornerstone on 20 June 1865. The first service was held on 29 October, but the church was not consecrated until 13 May 1866. The southern end of the nave was built first with double walls of Oamaru stone, dressed inside and imitation ashlar outside, and three feet thick at the base. By 1871 the church was too small for the congregation.

In 1876 the full length of the nave to the region of the spire was completed with temporary wooden chancel. The extension doubled the size of the church, and was now the length on the original plans, with Forrester and Lemon supervising the building. Barclay and Kay were the stone masons, while West and Sinclair were the carpenters. A Conacher pipe organ was installed in the side chapel.

In 1897 a Sunday School was opened next to the church, designed by J.M. Forrester. In 1909, the vicarage was built on the corner section of Wharfe and Tees Streets (List Entry No. 4884).

Though there was discussion and some fund raising for the spire and stone chancel in the 1880s, it was not until 1913 that these were completed. Bequests and fund raising enabled the church to be completed to the original plan. The Oamaru Mail provides a full description of the finished church. Bishop Neville laid the corner stone on 27 June 1912. J.M. Forrester supervised the constriction, while McKenzie and Mills were the stone masons. The woodwork was completed by D. Sinclair. This stage completed the chancel and the spire. The church grounds were further developed by the erection of the stone wall at Tees Street, including an iron gate with concrete pillars and steps. The spire is 127 feet high and topped with a stone cross. There are also stone crosses on the gable ends of the nave. Much of the woodwork in the chancel is in Southland beech, and much of the wood carving in the church is the work of F G Gurnsey, an English trained church carver.

Other notable features include the World War One Memorial, already in the planning stages in October 1919. The ‘Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial’ was dedicated on 17 October 1920. The memorial ‘comprises a stained glass window depicting the images of a soldier, St Luke and Jesus; and three panels made from glazed tiles in cast iron and timber frames. Two record the names of congregation members who lost their lives serving overseas. On the opposite wall, a wooden tablet lists the names of soldiers who returned.’ St Luke’s has several memorial windows, dating from after 1900 to 1986, that are significant features of the church.

In 2009 the parish restored the church, repairing and restoring stone work, stained glass, and installing a sprinkler system, new carpet and lighting in the interior. In 2015, St Luke’s remains the place of worship for its parishioners.