The Church of the Sacred Heart, a noted landmark nestled under the hills which define Dunedin's North East Valley, was built in 1891-1892. Catholicism arrived early in Otago, and Bishop Pompallier celebrated mass at Otakou in 1840. The establishment of a Presbyterian colony in the region in 1848 ensured that Catholics would remain a minority group. Nevertheless, by the 1870s Dunedin had an established Catholic community, swelled by the influx of Irish migrants who had arrived with the gold rushes of the 1860s.
Catholics from the northern end of Dunedin attended services at St Joseph's, in the centre of town, until 1883, when weekly masses began at Kirk's Hall, close to the Botanical Gardens. The hall soon proved inadequate and Dunedin Bishop Patrick Moran planned a new church for the district, but disagreements over its location and problems finding a suitable site led to long delays. In the meantime, from 1888 mass was held at Kirk's Hall twice each Sunday to cater for the growing congregation.
In 1890 Bishop Moran finally purchased from John Clegg suitable land in the North Road for the new church. Dunedin architect F.W. Petre designed, in Gothic Revival style, a building to seat over 400 people. Construction began in 1891, and contractor Daniel Woods completed the work in "the most satisfactory manner" under Petre's supervision. Other contributors included Barningham and Co. (iron work), Anderson and Morrison (copper work), A. & T. Burt (bell) and D. Scott (lead light windows). The local Catholic community, particularly the pupils of Dunedin's Catholic schools and the Dominican Sisters, donated many of the furnishings. On 7 February 1892 Bishop Moran dedicated the new church, by then complete except for the stained glass windows, which arrived from Lyons to be installed in June of that year.
The church has remained a spiritual centre for much of Dunedin's Catholic community since 1892. In its early years, the church building also served as a school, the Dominican Sisters teaching there from 1895 until they opened a dedicated school building nearby in 1904.
Until the 1930s, when the Church of the Holy Name was established, it hosted the only centre of Catholic worship for the northern end of Dunedin. In 1934 a Presbytery was built adjacent to the church for the parish priest; prior to this the church had been served from St Joseph's. The church and school did not remain the only Catholic institutions in the neighbourhood, with the Saint Sabina Convent of the Dominican Sisters nearby and, from 1954, Aquinas Hall, a residential hall for students, run by the Dominican Fathers. The Dominican Fathers served as parish priests for many years, but its current priests are Rosminians.
Through all these changes - indeed, to the present day - the church building remained largely unaltered, fulfilling its intended function as a place of worship. Various minor alterations, repairs and renovations have retained the original design. At an unknown, but probably early, date, the brickwork was plastered. A 1984 storm caused significant damage, blowing down the spire, and the NZHPT assisted the parish with the restoration required.
Petre designed numerous Catholic churches, including Dunedin's three nineteenth-century buildings - St Joseph's Cathedral, St Patrick's Basilica in South Dunedin and Sacred Heart. Sacred Heart is by far the simplest of the three, yet has been described as "Petre's best and most original ecclesiastical work in Dunedin." The church is set back from the road, with the path leading to its door bordered by roses. The building is now showing signs of its age, with various structural problems evident, but it has stood as one of North East Valley's most noted architectural and spiritual landmarks for over a hundred years.
Catholics from the northern end of Dunedin attended services at St Joseph's, in the centre of town, until 1883, when weekly masses began at Kirk's Hall, close to the Botanical Gardens. The hall soon proved inadequate and Dunedin Bishop Patrick Moran planned a new church for the district, but disagreements over its location and problems finding a suitable site led to long delays. In the meantime, from 1888 mass was held at Kirk's Hall twice each Sunday to cater for the growing congregation.
In 1890 Bishop Moran finally purchased from John Clegg suitable land in the North Road for the new church. Dunedin architect F.W. Petre designed, in Gothic Revival style, a building to seat over 400 people. Construction began in 1891, and contractor Daniel Woods completed the work in "the most satisfactory manner" under Petre's supervision. Other contributors included Barningham and Co. (iron work), Anderson and Morrison (copper work), A. & T. Burt (bell) and D. Scott (lead light windows). The local Catholic community, particularly the pupils of Dunedin's Catholic schools and the Dominican Sisters, donated many of the furnishings. On 7 February 1892 Bishop Moran dedicated the new church, by then complete except for the stained glass windows, which arrived from Lyons to be installed in June of that year.
The church has remained a spiritual centre for much of Dunedin's Catholic community since 1892. In its early years, the church building also served as a school, the Dominican Sisters teaching there from 1895 until they opened a dedicated school building nearby in 1904.
Until the 1930s, when the Church of the Holy Name was established, it hosted the only centre of Catholic worship for the northern end of Dunedin. In 1934 a Presbytery was built adjacent to the church for the parish priest; prior to this the church had been served from St Joseph's. The church and school did not remain the only Catholic institutions in the neighbourhood, with the Saint Sabina Convent of the Dominican Sisters nearby and, from 1954, Aquinas Hall, a residential hall for students, run by the Dominican Fathers. The Dominican Fathers served as parish priests for many years, but its current priests are Rosminians.
Through all these changes - indeed, to the present day - the church building remained largely unaltered, fulfilling its intended function as a place of worship. Various minor alterations, repairs and renovations have retained the original design. At an unknown, but probably early, date, the brickwork was plastered. A 1984 storm caused significant damage, blowing down the spire, and the NZHPT assisted the parish with the restoration required.
Petre designed numerous Catholic churches, including Dunedin's three nineteenth-century buildings - St Joseph's Cathedral, St Patrick's Basilica in South Dunedin and Sacred Heart. Sacred Heart is by far the simplest of the three, yet has been described as "Petre's best and most original ecclesiastical work in Dunedin." The church is set back from the road, with the path leading to its door bordered by roses. The building is now showing signs of its age, with various structural problems evident, but it has stood as one of North East Valley's most noted architectural and spiritual landmarks for over a hundred years.
