St Michael's Church, Waimea West

St Michael's Church in the Tasman District is an Anglican church, and was the first church in the wider Nelson Region. It is a Category I heritage building.

St Michael's Church
St Michael's Church in Waimea West was designed in 1866
41°20′17″S 173°06′21″E
LocationBrightwater
CountryNew Zealand
DenominationAnglican
ChurchmanshipAnglo-Catholic
WebsiteParish website
History
Consecrated13 November 1867 (1867-11-13)
Architecture
Heritage designationCategory I
Designated5 April 1984
Architect(s)Thomas Brunner
Administration
DioceseNelson
Clergy
Minister(s)Rev. Martin Harrison

History

A church service was first held in the shed of John Kerr's father on 4 December 1842. Two of his neighbours, Saxton and Tytler, gave land for a church and vicarage, and the first service was held in the church on 24 December 1843.[1] The church was the first church in the Nelson Province.[2][3] The building had an overall length of 52 feet (16 m) and cost £105.[4]

A building committee decided on building a new church and in May 1866, it appointed Thomas Brunner as the architect.[4] The foundation stone for the new church was laid on 24 November 1866, and the ceremony was attended by many prominent people: Colonel Mathew Richmond, Sir David Monro, Arthur Seymour, Brunner as the architect, Edward Baigent, with the service conducted by Bishop Selwyn. The foundation stone was laid by Mrs Blundell.[5] The committee decided on Christmas Day of 1866 that a memorial tablet to Captain Francis H. Blundell was necessary, as he had been one of the driving forces behind the new church building.[4] It was probably New Zealand's first memorial church. Blundell was an immediate neighbour to the church and had died in 1865; he is buried in the church's graveyard on land that he gifted.[3][4] The first service was held in the new church in July 1867.[6] The new Bishop of Nelson, Andrew Suter, was due to arrive later in the year, and hence the church was not consecrated until 13 November 1867.[4][6]

The church community tried to sell the old church, but received no suitable offers. It was used by Mrs Blundell as a Sunday school until it was blown over in high winds.[4]

On 5 April 1984, St Michael's was registered with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust as a Category I structure with registration number 248.[3]

St Michael's is located on Waimea West Road within Brightwater (also known as Waimea West), just south of the boundary to Appleby.[7]

Bibliography
  • Palmer, Leonard Russell; Bloyce, J. W.; Stewart, J. (1968). St. Michael's Anglican Church: Waimea West, Nelson, New Zealand. Nelson, New Zealand.

References
  1. "Waimea West". Journal of the Nelson Historical Society Incorporated. Nelson: Nelson Historical Society. 3 (3): 21, 27. September 1977. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  2. Walrond, Carl (15 November 2012). "Nelson places - Richmond and the Waimea Plains". Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  3. "St Michael's Church (Anglican)". Register of Historic Places. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  4. "The History of St Michael's Church". Brightwater Community Anglican Churches. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  5. "Laying the Foundation Stone of St Michael's Church Waimea West". Colonist. X (957). 27 November 1866. p. 2. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  6. "Consecration of St. Michael's Church, Waimea West". Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle. XXVI (146). 5 December 1867. p. 4. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  7. "St Michael's Waimea West". Google Maps. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
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