Church of St Michael and All Angels, Christchurch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Michael and All Angels |
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St Michael and All Angels
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| 43°32′04″S 172°37′59″E / 43.53444°S 172.63306°E | |
| Location | 84 Oxford Terrace, Christchurch Central City |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Churchmanship | Anglo-Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Church |
| Founded | 29 September 1870 |
| Dedicated | 2 May 1872 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Category I |
| Designated | 2 April 1985 |
| Architect(s) |
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| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Christchurch= |
The Church of St Michael and All Angels is a special Anglican church in Christchurch, New Zealand. An Anglican church is a type of Christian church. You can find it at 84 Oxford Terrace.
This church building is very important. It is listed as 'Category I' by Heritage New Zealand. This means it is a place of great historical value. The tall, separate tower next to it, called a belfry, is also listed separately.
Contents
A Look Back: Church History
This church stands where the very first church built by the Canterbury Association settlers once stood. These settlers were some of the first European people to arrive and live in this area. That first church opened in July 1851.
For many years, St Michael and All Angels was the main church, like a temporary cathedral. It was called a "pro-cathedral." This lasted until the bigger ChristChurch Cathedral was finished in 1881.
Building the Church
The person who designed the current church was William Fitzjohn Crisp. He came from England in 1864. He was learning from Robert Speechly, who was helping to build the Christ Church Cathedral.
The first stone of the church was laid on 29 September 1870. This day is known as the Feast of St Michael & All Angels. But there were some problems with the building work. So, William Crisp went back to Britain in 1871.
Another architect, Frederick Strouts, took over in June 1871. The church was finally finished in 1872. The builder was James Schoolbraid. People said he was very good at his job.
Church Completion and Design
The church officially opened on 2 May 1872. They didn't have enough money to finish everything at first. The chancel, which is the part of the church near the altar, wasn't completed until 1875. Also, the planned bell tower and spire (a tall, pointy roof) were never built.
The church is mostly made from mataī timber, which is a strong native wood. It sits on foundations made of stone. It's one of the biggest wooden churches in the Southern Hemisphere built in the Gothic Revival style. This style looks like the grand old churches from medieval Europe.
Only one small change has been made to the church's structure. In 1896, a wooden beam was removed to give a better view of the big window at the east end.
The Old Belfry
The separate belfry (bell tower) next to the church is even older than the church itself! It was designed by Benjamin Mountfort and built in 1861.
The bell inside the belfry arrived with the very first four ships of settlers in 1850. It used to ring every hour during the day. This helped the early settlers know what time it was.
Important People Connected to the Church
Many important people have been part of St Michael and All Angels. For example, Alfred Averill came to New Zealand in 1894 to be the vicar (a type of priest) here. He later became the Archbishop of New Zealand, which is a very high position in the Anglican Church.
There is also a school connected to the church called St Michael's Church School.
Why the Church is Special
The church was officially listed as a Category I heritage building on 2 April 1985. Its special number is 294. It's important because it was the first church built on the Canterbury Plains. It also served as the main church for many years.
From an architectural point of view, it's special because it's a large wooden building built in the Gothic style. The belfry is also a Category I structure, listed on the same day with number 295.
Surviving Earthquakes
This wooden church is very strong! It survived three big earthquakes in 2010 and 2011 with very little damage. It was the only Anglican church in the city centre that could stay open and be used.
The builders had thought about earthquakes when they designed the church. In 1869, the church leaders decided to build with wood. They said, "Because of the recent strong earthquakes, we decided it would be useless to try building with stone."
The earthquake they were talking about hit Christchurch on 5 June 1869. It was about a magnitude 5 earthquake. Another Anglican church built of stone was damaged in that quake.
After the big earthquake on 22 February 2011, important people visited the church. In March 2011, Victoria Matthews, the Bishop of Christchurch, and Kevin Rudd, who was Australia's Foreign Minister, attended a service there. Mr. Rudd lit a candle to remember those who died in the earthquake.
The Church Organ
The church has a beautiful pipe organ made by Henry Bevington and Sons in 1873. It was made even bigger in 1895-1896 by Fincham and Hobday.
The organ was damaged in the 22 February 2011 earthquake. It had to be taken out for repairs. While it was being fixed, a temporary organ was used. This temporary organ was made from parts of instruments that were damaged during World War II bombings in Britain.
The church needed to raise NZ$500,000 to fix the organ. The Bevington organ was put back in the church in 2013. It was even improved by the South Island Organ Company.
List of Vicars
Here are the vicars (priests) who have served at St Michael and All Angels:
- Octavius Mathias, 1852–1860
- Henry Jacobs, 1863–1873
- Henry J. Edwards, 1873–1876
- Edward Gorton Penny, 1876–1881
- Walter Harper, 1882–1893
- Alfred Averill, 1894–1910
- Harry Darwin Burton, 1910–1915
- Charles E. Perry, 1916–1936
- Cecil Muschamp, 1937–1951
- Cecil Gault, 1951–1963
- Tim Raphael 1963–1965
- Philip Baker 1965–1986
- Ivan Smith 1986–1990
- Jonathan Kirkpatrick 1991–1996
- Peter Williams, 1997–2013
- Andrew Starky, 2013–2017
- Christopher Orczy, 2018–2022
- Jordan Greatbach, 2023–present
Gallery
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Inside the church, looking towards the altar
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The belfry, built in 1861
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The church seen from the north side
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Vicar, Rev. Octavius Mathias
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Vicar, Rev. Henry Jacobs
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