St John the Evangelist Church (Anglican)

Wakapuaka Road and Cable Bay Road, HIRA

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St John the Evangelist Church (Anglican) in Hira is the only remaining example of several early churches in Nelson's Suburban North which is on its original site. Constructed in 1888 as a result of demand from the increasing local population, the building is a characteristic example of a vernacular country church inspired by Gothic Revival architecture. By the mid 1850s the New Zealand Company of Nelson had coalesced and expansion into the surrounding districts was underway. A reflection of the maturity of the settlements in Nelson's Suburban North had reached a point that the community was able to build its first Anglican churches by the early 1860s. When St John the Evangelist Church in Happy Valley, later called Hira, was constructed the area had a complement of four Anglican churches. One of these had previously been in Happy Valley but was relocated which meant that there was no longer one in the immediate vicinity. However, with the establishment of the community at Cable Bay and further increases in the population at Happy Valley, by the late 1880s there was local demand for a church to be once again located at the periphery of the parish. By the late twentieth century the parish was consolidating itself and all of the early churches, except that at Hira, were either relocated or demolished. St John the Evangelist Church could have suffered a similar fate because of its degraded condition, but several instances of community driven and funded repair and restoration work meant that the church was able to see in its second century in good condition. The Anglican church at Hira is typical of many country churches in New Zealand of the period which reference Gothic Revival architecture but within a New Zealand vernacular. The building is a simple design consisting of a porch, nave, and vestry, this later section featuring one of the most remarked upon aspects of the church, which is that it has retained its chimney. The building is an unabashed timber structure, which reflects the prominence of this material locally at the time, and combined with the modest scale and minimal decoration on the exterior, is indicative of the economic considerations that the community and architect had to confront when undertaking the project. St John the Evangelist Church has considerable local historical and social importance as the only remaining vestige in its original context of the initial spread of Anglicanism in Nelson's Suburban North as its rural settlements coalesced. While the church is significant locally as a place of worship, it also facilitates social interaction, an aspect that was particularly valuable within this sparsely populated district in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries before technical developments enabled ease of transport and communication. St John the Evangelist Church is still identifiably a country church in its form and because of the retention of the pastoral nature of its surroundings, and it is mostly because of this that it is a local landmark.

St John the Evangelist Church (Anglican), Hira. Image courtesy of www.flickr.com | PhilBee NZ - Phil Braithwaite | 21/03/2014 | Phil Braithwaite
St John the Evangelist Church (Anglican), Hira. Image courtesy of www.flickr.com | PhilBee NZ - Phil Braithwaite | 21/03/2014 | Phil Braithwaite

Location

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List Entry Information

Overview

Detailed List Entry

Status

Listed

List Entry Status

Historic Place Category 2

Access

Private/No Public Access

List Number

1656

Date Entered

10th October 2009

Date of Effect

10th October 2009

City/District Council

Nelson City

Region

Nelson Region

Extent of List Entry

Extent includes the land described as Pt Sec 28 Sbrn Nth (RT NL62/233), Nelson Land District, and the building and structure known as St John the Evangelist Church (Anglican) thereon, and its fittings and fixtures. (Refer to map in Appendix 1 of the registration report for further information).

Legal description

Pt Sec 28 Sbrn Nth (RT NL62/233), Nelson Land District

Location Description

When driving north from Nelson on the Nelson to Blenheim highway, Hira is the settlement immediately after Wakapuaka when travelling over the Gentle Annie Saddle. The church can be seen when descending this hill just prior to entering Hira village. Parking is available on the shoulder of Cable Bay Road which is clearly indicated by a sign on the highway directing travellers to Cable Bay.

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