St Patrick's Church (Catholic)

12 Colonsay Street and Lancaster Street, LAWRENCE

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St Patrick’s Catholic Church on Colonsay Street overlooking the main street of Lawrence, was constructed in 1891. Although the story of St Patrick’s was just beginning, the Catholic Church in Lawrence already had a rich spiritual and social legacy. The discovery of gold at Gabriel's Gully in May 1861 led to the establishment of the thriving Lawrence Township. Significantly to the Presbyterian-founded Otago province, a number of miners were Irish Roman Catholics. By 1862 Catholic Mass was regularly celebrated in a calico tent. A hilltop site on the corner of Colonsay Street and Lancaster Streets was purchased in 1863 and in 1864 a corrugated iron church was erected on site; the first Catholic church in Otago. The nave of St Patrick’s Church stands on this site. Overlooking the township of Lawrence, among a cluster of impressive government buildings, St Patrick’s Church was opened by Bishop Patrick Moran in January 1892. The distinguished architect, Francis Petre (1847-1918), drew the design for the church. As a man of the faith, Petre was often the architect of choice for Catholic dioceses, designing cathedrals and local churches in accomplished Gothic Revival style. Following a Latin cross floor plan, the Church is simple yet elegant, and constructed by contractor Daniel Woods. By 1926 bricks and mortar were unfortunately decaying. The church was then roughcast to protect the exterior. In contrast, the interior was continually enhanced by gifts from generous benefactors, including stained glass windows, statues, and Stations of the Cross. Indeed a number of the windows were made in the famous Zettler factory in Munich. Several modifications took place in the early 1970s when the sanctuary was restyled in accordance with the liturgical changes of Vatican II and for the Church’s centenary. In the mid 1990s, significant fundraising enabled a programme of repair and restoration. St Patrick’s Church has significant aesthetic, architectural, historical, social, and spiritual values. It is a landmark building surrounded by Lawrence’s most impressive goldfields’ buildings. The Church reflects part of the social and cultural milieu of a nineteenth century gold settlement and is a visible reminder of the large Catholic presence on the Otago goldfields. It provided Catholics a place for spiritual replenishment, but also a gathering place for the social and cultural expressions of Irish nationalism. The development of the Church from tent to impressive brick structure represents the period of consolidation of settlement following the gold rush. It represents and embraces not only the history of the Parish, but the history of Lawrence and Otago, dating back to 1861.

St Patrick's Church (Catholic), Lawrence. Image courtesy of www.flickr.com | Shellie Evans - flyingkiwigirl | 14/05/2014 | Shellie Evans
St Patrick's Church (Catholic), Lawrence. Image courtesy of www.flickr.com | Shellie Evans - flyingkiwigirl | 14/05/2014 | Shellie Evans
St Patrick's Church (Catholic), Lawrence | Sarah Gallagher | 02/12/2020 | Heritage New Zealand
St Patrick's Church (Catholic), Lawrence. Nave looking towards the narthex | Heather Bauchop | 10/03/2010 | Heritage New Zealand

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

2247

Date Entered

8th August 2010

Date of Effect

8th August 2010

City/District Council

Clutha District

Region

Otago Region

Extent of List Entry

Extent includes part of the land described as Pt Secs 1-2 Blk V Town of Lawrence (RT OT2D/1346 and RT OT3B/407), Otago Land District and the building known as St Patrick's Church (Catholic) thereon, and its fittings and fixtures including the altar, baptismal font, the cross, the Blessed Sacrament Canopy, and the statues of Our Lady and the Christ child, St Joseph and the Christ child, and the Pieta. (Refer to map in Appendix 1 of the registration report for further information).

Legal description

Pt Secs 1-2 Blk V Town of Lawrence (RT OT2D/1346 and RT OT3B/407), Otago Land District

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