First Church of Otago facts for kids
First Church is a famous church in Dunedin, New Zealand. You can find it right in the middle of the city on Moray Place, just a short walk from the city centre. It's the main Presbyterian church in Dunedin. Many people think it's the most amazing church built in New Zealand during the 1800s. It's even listed as a special historic place by Heritage New Zealand.
Early Church Buildings
Before the grand First Church was built, people in Dunedin used smaller buildings for their church services. The city was growing super fast, so they needed a much bigger and stronger church.
The very first First Church was a simple building made of wood. It was built quickly in 1848, just six months after the first European settlers from Scotland arrived. This building could hold about 200 people. It was built so fast that at first, people had to stand during services because there were no seats!
In 1850, a stone church was built. This new building was twice as big. It wasn't just a church; it was also used as a school, a place for public talks, and even where the local government met. People probably knew this building was only temporary. Plans for a much grander church started as early as 1856. Both the 1848 and 1850 buildings were later used to store wool, but they burned down in 1865.
From 1864, a third church, called "The Interim Church," was used. This was a strong wooden building on a stone base. It could seat 600 people and was used until the current First Church was ready in 1873. After that, the wooden building was taken apart and moved to be used as a workshop for trams. You can still see some of its old stone foundations today.
Building the Current Church
The current First Church stands on what's left of Bell Hill. This was a big hill that used to split Dunedin in half. When gold was found nearby, Dunedin grew very quickly. The hill became a huge problem for the city's development. So, the local government decided to dig away a big part of the hill. This created a path for one of the city's main streets, Princes Street. The hill's height was lowered by about 12 metres (39 feet). Much of the dirt and stone dug out was used to create new land in South Dunedin. The church's spot, on a remaining part of the hill, gives it great views over the city towards the Otago Harbour.
The church was designed in 1862 by Robert Lawson. He also designed Knox Church in Dunedin, which has a similar tower. Lawson won a competition to design the church. Building started later because of the work on Bell Hill. The first stone was laid in May 1868 by Dr. Thomas Burns. The church officially opened on November 23, 1873. Sadly, Dr. Burns, who strongly supported the project, had already passed away.
The church is famous for its tall tower with many pointed tops, called pinnacles. A tall, pointed roof, called a spire, rises to 56.4 metres (185 feet). This spire is special because it has two-story windows on all sides, making it look even taller. Lawson was a perfectionist; he even had the top of the spire taken down and rebuilt because it wasn't perfect enough for him! You can see the spire from many parts of central Dunedin. The church can hold over 1000 people.
Building such an expensive church wasn't without some complaints. Some people felt that the city church was getting too much money, while churches in the countryside had very little or no proper buildings. But Reverend Dr. Burns made sure the project went ahead despite these objections.
About the Building
From the outside, First Church looks a lot like the big cathedrals built in England long ago, just a bit smaller. You can really see its grand, cathedral-like design from the back. Inside, instead of a stone ceiling, there are wooden beams supporting the roof. A stone arch frames the central pulpit. Light comes in through a beautiful round stained-glass window above the pulpit.
At 56.4 metres (185 feet), the spire makes First Church one of the tallest buildings in the South Island. It was the tallest building on the island until ChristChurch Cathedral, Christchurch was finished in 1881. It briefly became the tallest again in 1888 after that cathedral was damaged by an earthquake. Today, First Church is the tallest building in Dunedin.
The church is built from Oamaru stone, which is a light-coloured limestone. Its foundations are made of strong dark rock from Port Chalmers. Many of the detailed carvings were done by Louis Godfrey, who also carved much of the wood inside. The church uses "cathedral glass," which is coloured but doesn't have pictures. This was common in Otago's churches back then because there weren't many people donating money for fancy stained-glass windows.
Other cool things about the church include stained-glass windows that remember soldiers who died in wars. For many years, the church had a large organ from 1908. In 1983, it was replaced with a modern digital organ. In 1975, a full set of eight change-ringing bells was installed. These bells were made by the famous Whitechapel Bell Foundry. At the time, it was the only set of such bells in a Presbyterian church outside the United Kingdom, and people said it was the southernmost set of bells in the world! A large bell on a stand sits outside the church. It was sent from Scotland in 1851. There's also a special plaque outside that remembers Dr. Burns. The church gates have two lamps that used to be street lamps in Edinburgh, connecting the church to the homeland of many of Dunedin's first settlers.
A tiny version of First Church was built by Robert Lawson in the city's Northern Cemetery. It serves as a family tomb for a famous early Dunedin resident, William Larnach.
First Church holds regular Sunday services in English, Cook Island Maori, and Samoan. The church is also used for many different events in the city, both religious and cultural.
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