This Anglican church in Ōpunake is described by the architect, Frederick de Jersey Clere, as "early French influence, with steep inclination of the roof, and tall belfry also giving a Gothic effect".
The church was dedicated on the 2 June, 1895 by Archdeacon T. Fancourt. The cost of the building was £276.17.6 - the project helped by the donation of timber by Mr Vickery (5,000 feet) and Mr Rua Bishop (1,000 feet).
The wooden buttresses were added in 1897 to strengthen the church from the strong westerlies. The distinctive belfry was demolished in 1969 according to Susan MacLean (author of "The Churches of Frederick de Jersey Clere"). The Opunake Heritage Inventory report states this occurred in the 1950s; the later date is more likely to be correct.
In 1991 the church was moved 180° so that it could be extended by linking it with the parish buildings behind. MacLean comments that the greatest loss was, "Clere's innovative west elevation, sacrificed to preserve the rest of the building".
Further reading: St Barnabas' Opunake, A Hundred Years On 1995, Kate Mickelson.
Related documents:
Church renovation well under way (Daily News 1 October 1991)
Opunake Church Extensions Dedicated (Daily News 3 Dec 1991)
Pioneering coastal priest dies (Daily News 23 August 1995)
Of passing interest, Kelvin Day (Taranaki Daily News 9 July 2013)
Please do not reproduce these images without permission from Puke Ariki.
Contact us for more information or you can order images online here.
The information on this website is provided for general research and reference only. While we try to keep content accurate and current, we make no guarantees about its completeness or correctness. It should not be considered a replacement for a LIM or a Property Report. Some content is supplied by third parties. Puke Ariki has not verified this content and users should check its accuracy before relying on it.The inclusion of a building on the website does not imply heritage status. See SCHED1 in the NPDC District Plan for a list of buildings that have rules about what can happen to or around them (administered by NPDC). See the New Zealand Heritage List for a list of buildings that are celebrated for their heritage significance but are not subject to rules (administered by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga). Should any corrections need to be made to the records or for more information please contact us.
