Country Churches of NZ 133. Our Lady of the River, Jacobs River, Westland

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.

OUR LADY OF THE RIVER, JACOBS RIVER

It was a long, long journey from Arrowtown (see 132) to my next subject. I crossed to Westland by way of Haast Pass and then round steep bluffs and through mossy forests to Jacobs River, about 80 km north of Haast township.

There, all alone in a paddock beside the highway, is a humble little church which is now called Our Lady of the River. It was paid for by landowner Bob Ritchie and built by Bert Weenick and Harry Bush in 1928 for the Church of England as St. Peter's but since the late 1970s has been used by both Anglicans and Catholics.

It appears to be part of what marketing executives might call a 'branding exercise', there being other 'Our Lady of...' churches at Haast, Whataroa, Fox Glacier and Franz Josef.

© DON DONOVAN
donovan@ihug.co.nz
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