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DESCRIPTION: The suburb of Roslyn was founded in the 1860s when James Kilgour subdivided his farm 'Roslyn'. Progress in the suburbs was slow until the 1890s when settlement accelerated and in 1899 a Presbytery Commission recognised the need to extend its services into the suburbs. Most of Roslyn had previously been in the parish of First Church. The front part of the Sunday School building was completed in 1901 and in 1903 the church site was purchased. Construction began soon after and the church was opened on 11 September 1904. The cost, including the furnishings and organ, was over £3,000. A manse was built in 1908. The belfry and bell were donated in 1911 and following World War I a memorial window and roll of honour were added.

Roslyn Presbyterian Church, Dunedin | Ben Hill | 08/08/2009 | Ben Hill - Wikimedia Commons

Roslyn Presbyterian Church, Dunedin. Image courtesy of www.flickr.com | Beth Wishart | 12/02/2011 | Beth Wishart

Location

List Entry Information

Overview

Detailed List Entry

Status

Listed

List Entry Status

Historic Place Category 2

Access

Private/No Public Access

List Number

3377

Date Entered

12th December 1990

Date of Effect

12th December 1990

City/District Council

Dunedin City

Region

Otago Region

Legal description

Pt Lot 2 DP 12320 Lot 1 DP 23353

Overview

Status
Listed

List Entry Status
Historic Place Category 2

Access
Private/No Public Access

List Number
3377

Date Entered
12th December 1990

Date of Effect
12th December 1990

City/District Council
Dunedin City

Region
Otago Region

Legal description

Pt Lot 2 DP 12320 Lot 1 DP 23353

Detailed List Entry

Significance

Historic Significance

Historical Significance or Value Following the growth of Roslyn in the 1890s, Roslyn Presbyterian Church was constructed early this century and has served Presbyterian congregations for 86 years.

Physical Significance

ARCHITECTURAL QUALITY: Roslyn Presbyterian Church is a fine example of a medium scale Gothic Revival church constructed in permanent materials. The use of Oamaru stone and brick adds much to the decorative quality of the exterior while the interior is an ornately adorned space. This compact, attractive church is a well-known city landmark. TOWNSCAPE/LANDMARK VALUE: Roslyn Church occupies a prominent site on a ridge above Dunedin and is a landmark which can be seen from many parts of the city.

Construction Professional

Biography

James Louis Salmond (1868-1950) was born in North Shields, England. He was educated at Otago Boys' High School and began his career articled to Robert Arthur Lawson (1833-1902). Salmond initially practised on his own account but later rejoined Lawson in partnership. Salmond took over the practice when Lawson died in 1902. Salmond was the architect of over 20 churches in Otago including the Presbyterian churches at Roslyn, Kaikorai, North Dunedin and the Wesleyan church at Mornington. He designed many private residences including Watson Shennan's house at 367 High Street, as well as those at 114 Cargill Street and 14 Pitt Street, all in Dunedin. Salmond was president of the Otago Art Society, and also served a term as president of the New Zealand Institute of Architects. His son Arthur joined the firm having studied in London and his grandson John continues to work in the firm today. It is now known as Salmond Anderson Architects.

Name

Salmond, James Louis

Type

Architect

Construction Details

Start Year

1904

Type

Original Construction

Description

Addition of Robing Room

Start Year

1926

Type

Addition

Description

Remodelling and addition of kitchen and Sunday School Room

Start Year

1966

Type

Addition

Description

Digital organ installed

Start Year

1983

Type

Modification

Construction Materials

Brick walls in the English garden wall bond with Oamaru stone facings, tracery and buttresses. Slate roof.

Notable Features

Corner belfry and pinnacle-like turret. Ornately plastered ceiling.

Physical Description

ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION This Edwardian Gothic Revival church is orientated south-west to north-east with the sanctuary lying in the south-west. Constructed in red brick with Oamaru stone detailing, the contrast in colour emphasises the decorative quality of such elements as angle buttresses, pointed arches, window tracery, hood-moulds, gable ends, banding within the gable ends and a string course at approximately mid-height. The overall form of the building is somewhat cubic with orthogonal pitched roofs. Where the roofs intersect there is a delicate turret with louvres, gablets and a finial. The turret is visually related to a belfry, located in the east corner, with gablets and a pavilion roof on posts with brackets in the form of pointed arches. The flat roofed entry to the building is at the north-east end and has continuity with the main part of the building through the use of pointed arches, angle buttresses and the string course. The interior has a floor which slopes toward the altar and a steeply raked gallery. The gallery is supported on two rows of pillars and has an ornate balcony. Likewise, the ceiling is ornately plastered, and has five elaborate ventilator grills. Walls are panelled to about shoulder height with lath and plaster above, grooved to simulate stone blocks. MODIFICATIONS: 1926: Addition of Robing Room 1966: Remodelling and addition of kitchen and Sunday School Room 1983: Digital organ installed

Reference

Information Sources

Cyclopedia of New Zealand, 1905

Cyclopedia Company, Industrial, descriptive, historical, biographical facts, figures, illustrations, Wellington, N.Z, 1897-1908, Vol. 4 Otago and Southland, Cyclopedia Company, Christchurch, 1905

Knight, H. & N. Wales, 1988

Hardwicke Knight and Niel Wales, Buildings of Dunedin: An Illustrated Architectural Guide to New Zealand's Victorian City, John McIndoe, Dunedin, 1988

Otago Daily Times

Otago Daily Times, 1 Jun 1915, p.10.

Report Written By

This historic place was registered under the Historic Places Act 1980. This report includes the text from the original Building Classification Committee report considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration. Please note that entry on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rarangi Korero identifies only the heritage values of the property concerned, and should not be construed as advice on the state of the property, or as a comment of its soundness or safety, including in regard to earthquake risk, safety in the event of fire, or insanitary conditions.

Further Information

Current Usages

Uses: Religion

Specific Usage: Church

Former Usages

General Usage:: Religion

Specific Usage: Church

Roslyn Presbyterian Church

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