I wrote and illustrated Country Churches of New Zealand. It was published in 2002 by New Holland, Publishers and is still on sale in bookshops. The publishers have kindly agreed to me re-publishing some of the book’s images and descriptions in this blog.
CHURCH OF MARY IMMACULATE AND THE IRISH MARTYRS, CROMWELL
Like the Curate's Egg parts of Cromwell are interesting; other parts, like the old main road, disappear into newly formed Lake Dunstan, victims of the Clyde Dam hydroelectric project of 1992.From the lookout above the town at the northern end of Cromwell Gorge the pink tiled roof of the handsome Church of Mary Immaculate and the Irish Martyrs is very distinctive among those higher buildings that survived.
It has the longest name of all the churches in this book and I can add little more than to quote from the board outside the church: '...The foundation stone ... was laid on March 17th 1908 ... The church was built by Patrick Thomas and the stonemason was William Gair ... cost £2400. The church was blessed and opened by Bishop Verdon on April 18th 1909. Father Hunt gave the church its unusual title to gain the support of the many Catholic Irish miners in Cromwell at that time...'
© DON DONOVAN
donovan@ihug.co.nz
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