The striking Caversham Presbyterian Church, designed by architect Thomas Bedford Cameron, and built in 1882 of bluestone with contrasting Oamaru stone facings, stands as a landmark in this Dunedin suburb. As Reverend Frazer said at the opening of the church in August 1883, the architecture not only reflects the view that beautiful buildings were an influence for good, but also the noble character of the parishioners and their faith. The church has provided a place of worship for over 130 years.
At its opening on 19 August 1883, Caversham Presbyterian Church was 80 feet (24.38 metres) in length, including the vestibule, and 40 feet wide (12.19 metres). The height of the ceiling from the floor to the flat ceiling was 28 feet (8.53 metres). The external walls were built of bluestone from the Water of Leith quarries, with all angles, buttresses, windows, and doorjambs built of white Oamaru stone. The tower and spire stood 75 feet high (22.86 metres), and were built of Oamaru stone. The roof was covered with ‘Countess slates’. The walls were pointed with cement. The internal walls and ceilings were plastered. Over the front entrance was a gallery finished with ‘ornamental cast-iron railing’. The Otago Daily Times reported that ‘[t]he external appearance of the church presents a neat and handsome structure, and is situated in a central and commanding position in the borough.’
Caversham Presbyterian Church is notable for its significant memorial windows. In 1923, Mrs Anderson donated a window in memory of her nephew Lieutenant Boyes, killed at Armentieres in France in 1916. The Coombs Window, dedicated to Elizabeth Coombes (nee Boyes) was unveiled on 1 September 1946. The Simmons Window was installed near the pew where Mrs Violet Simmons sat every Sunday until her death in March 1946. The Margaret Window is a memorial to Christina Margaret Sullivan (daughter of then-minister Reverend C. M. Sullivan) who with two friends died attempting to cross the Copland Pass in April 1948. The window was installed in August of that year. The 1968 Sullivan Window is a memorial to Reverend Sullivan. The 1946 Iona Window, that replaced the original rose window, was installed in ‘thankfulness for and as a memorial to’ the men and women of the parish who served in the Second World War. The 1946 Dutton window was gifted by the Dutton Family Memorial Fund commemorating their long association with the church.
In 2012, Presbyterians in southern Dunedin’s Coastal Unity Parish decided to merge the St Clair and Caversham congregations into one centred around the Caversham church site, with the costs of earthquake strengthening and maintenance raising the question of the future of the church building. In 2014, Caversham Presbyterian Church remained the centre for Presbyterian worship in Caversham and South Dunedin.
At its opening on 19 August 1883, Caversham Presbyterian Church was 80 feet (24.38 metres) in length, including the vestibule, and 40 feet wide (12.19 metres). The height of the ceiling from the floor to the flat ceiling was 28 feet (8.53 metres). The external walls were built of bluestone from the Water of Leith quarries, with all angles, buttresses, windows, and doorjambs built of white Oamaru stone. The tower and spire stood 75 feet high (22.86 metres), and were built of Oamaru stone. The roof was covered with ‘Countess slates’. The walls were pointed with cement. The internal walls and ceilings were plastered. Over the front entrance was a gallery finished with ‘ornamental cast-iron railing’. The Otago Daily Times reported that ‘[t]he external appearance of the church presents a neat and handsome structure, and is situated in a central and commanding position in the borough.’
Caversham Presbyterian Church is notable for its significant memorial windows. In 1923, Mrs Anderson donated a window in memory of her nephew Lieutenant Boyes, killed at Armentieres in France in 1916. The Coombs Window, dedicated to Elizabeth Coombes (nee Boyes) was unveiled on 1 September 1946. The Simmons Window was installed near the pew where Mrs Violet Simmons sat every Sunday until her death in March 1946. The Margaret Window is a memorial to Christina Margaret Sullivan (daughter of then-minister Reverend C. M. Sullivan) who with two friends died attempting to cross the Copland Pass in April 1948. The window was installed in August of that year. The 1968 Sullivan Window is a memorial to Reverend Sullivan. The 1946 Iona Window, that replaced the original rose window, was installed in ‘thankfulness for and as a memorial to’ the men and women of the parish who served in the Second World War. The 1946 Dutton window was gifted by the Dutton Family Memorial Fund commemorating their long association with the church.
In 2012, Presbyterians in southern Dunedin’s Coastal Unity Parish decided to merge the St Clair and Caversham congregations into one centred around the Caversham church site, with the costs of earthquake strengthening and maintenance raising the question of the future of the church building. In 2014, Caversham Presbyterian Church remained the centre for Presbyterian worship in Caversham and South Dunedin.
