St Mary's Church, Timaru facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church |
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St Mary's Church with its distinctive tower
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| 44°23′47″S 171°15′04″E / 44.3965°S 171.2511°E | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Status | Church |
| Founded | 9 September 1880 |
| Founder(s) |
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| Consecrated | 26 August 1886 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) |
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| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Years built | 1880, 1886, and 1909 |
| Construction cost | NZ£10,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Bluestone |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Timaru |
| Diocese | Christchurch |
| Province | Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia |
St Mary's Church is a very old and important Anglican church in Timaru, New Zealand. It is located in the Canterbury region on the South Island. This beautiful building is one of the most famous landmarks in Timaru. The church was built in three main parts, starting in 1880. It was officially opened in 1886, and its tall, unique tower was added later in 1910.
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History of St Mary's Church
The land where St Mary's Church stands was sold to the Anglican church group by three brothers: William Barnard Rhodes, Robert Heaton Rhodes, and George Rhodes. In 1861, Bishop Henry Harper blessed the church grounds.
Building the Church
On September 9, 1880, a special stone called the foundation stone was laid for a new church. This new church was designed by William Armson in a style called Gothic Revival. This style looks like old European churches with pointed arches and tall windows. Henry Jacobs, a church leader from Christchurch, laid the stone because Bishop Harper was sick. Bishop Harper's son, Henry William Harper, was also a church leader in Timaru at that time.
The first part of building the church was done by Mr McGill. The second part started in early 1881 with a builder named R. B. Sibly. However, Sibly's work was not good, and his contract was cancelled. The architect, William Armson, became ill, which delayed finding a new builder. Later, P. Clayton took over the second part of the church building.
William Armson, the architect, passed away in 1883. It took more than three years after that for the church to be finished. Bishop Harper officially opened and blessed the church on August 26, 1886. The church cost about NZ£10,000 to build. A nearby school cost NZ£1,950, and the vicarage (where the church leader lives) cost NZ£2,200. In a big storm on September 9, 1889, the bell tower was blown over, and the bell cracked. The bell had to be melted down and made again.
Adding the Tower
The architectural company Collins and Harman created a new design for a square tower. By 1901, parts like the chancel (the area around the altar), vestries (rooms for clergy), the tower, and bells still needed to be added. Plans to finish the church were shown to the public in 1906 to help raise money. To make space for the new additions, the original church building from the 1860s had to be moved.
The foundation stone for the church's completion was laid on July 14, 1907, by Archdeacon Harper. Samuel McBride was the builder for this work. Walter Panton from Timaru helped supervise the building for Collins and Harman. The tall, unique tower makes St Mary's Church a very important landmark in Timaru.
Protecting and Repairing the Church
On April 4, 1985, St Mary's Church was officially recognized as a special historic building by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. It was given the registration number 328, meaning it's a Category I building, which is the highest level of heritage protection.
St Mary's Church is located at the corner of Church and Sophia streets. In 2011, during the Christchurch earthquake, one of the four pointed tops (called pinnacles) on the tower fell off. The other three were removed to keep people safe. All four pinnacles were fixed and put back in 2023 after a long time of repairs and restoration work.
