Country Churches of NZ 138. St. Paul's, Murchison

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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.

ST. PAUL'S, MURCHISON

'Nasty wet day all the way from Westport up the Buller Gorge - ghost clouds hanging on hills, river swollen, but clouds breaking at "Murch". Church interior warm in tone, nut-brown nave and ceiling.' (SKETCHBOOK NOTE 13/11/01)

St Paul's survived the 1929 Murchison earthquake unscathed. I doubt that any stone church would have come off as well.

At a cost of £165 it was built of heart totara by local volunteers under the direction of John Downie, the planks having been prepared at Downie's Sawmill on the Four River Plain and brought on site by a team of 12 bullocks.

It was opened on 17 December 1905 by the Bishop of Nelson, the Rt. Reverend C.O. Mules.

© DON DONOVAN

donovan@ihug.co.nz

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