Cultural Significance

This historic place was registered under the Historic Places Act 1993. The following text is from the original Recommendation for Registration considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration. Spiritual: Columba has been a focus of Presbyterian worship and spirituality for 112 years.

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 Registration considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration. This church was built in 1882-83 to the design of Forrester and Lemon for the Presbyterian congregation on the South Hill of Oamaru. Since then it has played a prominent role in the local history of the denomination.

Physical Significance

This historic place was registered under the Historic Places Act 1993. The following text is from the original Recommendation for Registration considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration. Aesthetic: This handsome building has landmark value and stands in a prominent position overlooking the harbour and the town. Architectural: Columba Church was by designed in the Victorian Academic Classical style by the architectural firm of Forrester and Lemon and dedicated on 15 July 1883. The basilica form is itself a rare choice for a Presbyterian church building, and the architects have sympathetically modified the plan so that is also reflects elements of the Georgian meeting hall.

Detail Of Assessed Criteria

This historic place was registered under the Historic Places Act 1993. The following text is from the original Recommendation for Registration considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration. The following comments are made in relation to the criteria identified under S.23(2) of the Historic Places Act 1993. (a) The extent to which the place reflects important or representative aspects of New Zealand history: Organised religion has played an importance role in the life of post-contact New Zealand society. Presbyterianism was the dominant religion in colonial Otago and Oamaru's architectural heritage, of which St Columba's is a distinguished item, reflects this. (b) The association of the place, with events, persons, or ideas of importance in New Zealand history: Thomas Forrester played an important role in the development of Oamaru during the 1870s and 1880s, a period when the town was one of New Zealand's most prosperous communities. He served as Secretary/Engineer to the Oamaru Harbour Board from 1876 until 1907. During that time he proved that the harbour floor was capable of dredging and planned the layout of the present port, opening it up to serve the largest ships on the new UK frozen meat run. Forrester and Lemon, his part-time architectural practice, conducted between 1872 and 1890, according to Peter Shaw, was "to transform the face of Oamaru". (c) The potential of the place to provide knowledge of New Zealand history: St Columba's church has potential to provide knowledge of the importance of Presbyterianism to North Otago history. (g) The technical accomplishment or value, or design of the place: This handsome building was by designed in the Victorian Academic Classical style by the architectural firm of Forrester and Lemon and dedicated on 15 July 1883. The basilica form is itself a rare choice for a Presbyterian church building, and the architects have sympathetically modified the plan so that is also reflects elements of the Georgian meeting hall, a rational form of congregational building that has been fairly widely adopted by the Presbyterian church. The rows of aisled Doric columns are the main interior feature of the basilica. The exterior is impressive. The main entrance facade is dominated by a symmetrical shallow portico, almost in antis, with a giant order of Roman Doric columns extending two stories to an architrave, plain frieze, and cornice capped by an impressive triangular pediment. The columns are paired at both sides of the portico with a square column. Within the portico there is a tripartite arrangement of round-arched openings - doors on the ground floor, multipaned windows in the upper. These openings all contain a similar motif in plain flanking pilasters supporting the round arches and exaggerated voussoirs. The portico is flanked on either side by the corners of the main buildings in which there is a dropped but exaggerated cornice, a parapet with string courses and shallow bays, and arched shallow recesses on the upper level. The side facades have the same kind of parapet, with shallow piers matching the pilasters below. These pilasters establish the basic rhythms of the building on these facades. The church is faced in smooth-tooled ashlar Oamaru stone. There have been a number of modifications made to this church over the years. Extensive renovations were commenced in April 1921 and designed by architects Forrester and Steenson: borer-ridden pews and woodwork were removed; a new vestibule and organ chamber were created. The lower rows of windows on the east and west facades were enlarged and steel frames and glazed with rolled Flemish glass in amber. A memorial window was installed at the back of the chancel, along with two side windows. Further renovations were commenced in 1928, and again in 1935, 1948, 1976 and 1980. Conclusion: Columba Church, 33 Wansbeck St, South Hall, Oamaru, is recommended for registration as a Category II as a place of historical and cultural heritage significance and value. The church was designed in the Victorian Academic Classical style by the architectural firm of Forrester & Lemon. It has landmark value standing in a prominent position overlooking the harbour and the town and has been the centre of the Presbyterian community for over 112 years.