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, TAI TAPU
'Wet day. Tourists' coach pulls up; a man and woman get out while others watch them from windows. They run to church, pan and tilt with video cameras, nod to each other and run back to coach which roars away leaving a blue cloud of exhaust. Five minutes flat! Another tick on the schedule.' (SKETCHBOOK NOTE 2/11/01)
Built from locally quarried stone, and standing with great dignity in its garden of old English trees and emerald lawns, St Paul's complements the quiet comfort of Tai Tapu perfectly.
It was built in 1930 on the site of an 1876 wooden church. The base of the sundial on the lawn in front is the font from that old church and stands on the spot it originally occupied.
The 'new' church, designed by Cecil Wood of Christchurch (who was responsible for the original designs of Wellington Cathedral), was erected by Sir Robert Heaton-Rhodes in memory of his wife Jessie and presented as a gift to the people of the district.
© DON DONOVAN
donovan@ihug.co.nz
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