All Saints' Church, Dunedin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids All Saints' Church, Dunedin |
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All Saints' Church
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| 45°51′44″S 170°30′51″E / 45.8623°S 170.5141°E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Churchmanship | Anglo-Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Church |
| Founded | 11 February 1865 |
| Founder(s) | Bishop Henry Harper |
| Dedication | All Saints |
| Dedicated | 23 July 1865 |
| Consecrated | 21 April 1869 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) |
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| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Neo-Gothic |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Dunedin North |
| Diocese | Dunedin |
All Saints' Church is a historic Anglican church in Dunedin, New Zealand. It was built in 1865 and is still used today. The church is part of the Dunedin North area within the Diocese of Dunedin.
This church building is very important. It has a special Category I listing from the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. This means it is a place of great historical value.
Contents
What is a Parish?
A parish is like a local church community area. The All Saints' parish includes the areas of North East Valley, Pine Hill, North Dunedin, Ravensbourne, and Leith Valley. It brings together people from these different places.
The Church Building
This church is the oldest one in Dunedin that is still used for worship. All Saints' Church also serves as the chapel for Selwyn College, Otago. Selwyn College was built around the church. The college and the church work closely together. Selwyn College started in 1893 as a place to train Anglican priests. It also welcomed other university students. All Saints' is located very close to the University of Otago.
Church Design and Style
The main part of the church, called the nave, was designed by William H. Clayton in 1865. Later, in 1873, the side sections (transepts) and the area around the altar (chancel) were added. These parts were designed by William Mason. All Saints' Church is a great example of gothic revival architecture. This style brings back the look of medieval Gothic churches.
One special feature of the church is its polychrome brickwork. This means different colored bricks were used to create patterns. The bricks came from a local brickworks in Dunedin. Oamaru stone, a type of light-colored limestone, was also used. This was one of the first times this stone was used in Dunedin buildings. In 1969, the church was repaired and updated. Its foundations, wooden floor, and slate roof were replaced. A new altar and altar rails were also added. These were designed by Ted McCoy.
Art in the Church
All Saints' Church has many beautiful artworks. A large wooden rood hangs above the altar area. It was carved by a famous sculptor named Frederick George Gurnsey. He also carved the door for the aumbry (a special cupboard) and the pulpit (where sermons are given).
Above the pulpit, there is a small sculpture called a Christus Rex. This was made by the well-known New Zealand sculptor Ria Bancroft. In 2017, a series of ceramic sculptures were put in the church. These show the Scriptural Way of the Cross and were made by Kirk Nicholls. In 2019, people started raising money for a new stained glass window. This window would remember the Ross Sea party and honor Rev. Arnold Spencer-Smith.
Church History
All Saints' parish was set up even before the Diocese of Dunedin was officially formed in 1869. For its first few years, it was part of the Diocese of Christchurch. The land for the church was given by James Allen Senior. His son, James Allen, later became a politician.
The first stone for the church was laid on February 11, 1865. This was done by Henry Harper, who was the first Bishop of Christchurch. The church was built quickly. Only the nave and entrance area (narthex) were finished at first. It opened on July 23, 1865. The church was officially blessed on April 21, 1869.
In 1886, the Bishop, Samuel Tarratt Nevill, offered to make All Saints' the main church (Cathedral) for the Diocese. He offered money to help pay off the church's debts. The church community agreed, but the plan did not happen. This was because of legal reasons.
Church Leaders (Vicars)
The vicar is the priest in charge of the church. Here are some of the vicars who have served All Saints' Church:
- Rev. E.H. Granger (1865–1872)
- Rev. R.L. Stanford (1872–1879)
- Very Rev Alfred R. Fitchett (Alfred Fitchett) (1879–1928)
- Fr. William Hardy-Johnson (1928–1935)
- Ven. L.G. Whitehead (Algy Whitehead) (1935–1948)
- Fr. Charles Harrison (1948–1964)
- Rev. Canon Arthur Philip Atkinson Gaze (1964–1980)
- Rev. Dr. John Irwin (1980–1983)
- Fr. David Best (1983–1997)
- Rev. Canon Erice Fairbrother (1999–2002)
- Fr. Tim Hurd (2002–2009)
- Rev. Canon Michael Wallace (2010–Present)
Notable People Connected to the Church
Many interesting people have been part of the All Saints' Church community:
- James Allen: A politician who helped manage the church as a churchwarden.
- George Bell (1809-1899): A newspaper editor and owner who also served as a churchwarden.
- George Eliot Elliott: He was a clerk who helped with the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty of Waitangi. He also saved it from a fire in 1841.
- Frances and William Matthew Hodgkins: Both were famous artists.
- Choie Sew Hoy and Eliza Prescott: They lived in a house near the church.
- William Larnach: He was known for building Larnach Castle.
- Alois Duffus Lubecki (died 1926): He was a Polish Prince and helped start the church. He also gave money for scholarships at universities.
- Dr. Richardson: A building at the University of Otago is named after him.
- Charles Henry Ritchie: He was a curate (assistant priest) at All Saints' from 1920 to 1922.
- Shelley Griffiths: A legal expert at the University of Otago. She leads the group that supports All Saints' Church.
Worship Style
Worship at All Saints' follows the Anglo-Catholic tradition. This means services are often very formal and traditional. Things like incense and bells are used during special services called High Mass.
Church Music and Organs
The first organ at All Saints' was given by the first vicar in 1871. This organ later moved to another church in Lawrence, New Zealand. The second organ was used from 1874 to 1905. It then moved to St Peter's Church in Queenstown, New Zealand.
The third and current organ was built in 1877 by Bevington & Sons, a company from London. Bevington organs are known for being well-made and sounding beautiful. This organ was first in a church in Christchurch. In 1905, it was moved to All Saints'. It was repaired in 1969. All Saints' organ is one of only three Bevington organs in New Zealand.
All Saints' Hall
All Saints' Hall is another important building. It was originally built as a different church, the Cumberland Street Wesleyan Methodist Chapel. It was built in 1869. The front windows of the hall were designed by a well-known Dunedin architect, Basil Bramston Hooper, in 1911.
Over the years, the hall has been used for different things. In 1968, the University of Otago's childcare center started there. The Araiteuru Maori club also used the hall before their own meeting place (Marae) was built.
