Te Henui Vicarage (1845)

This building, constructed of Taranaki andesite, was erected in 1845. When Bishop Selwyn visited New Plymouth in 1842 he chose the sites for St Mary's Church and Holy Trinity Church. The Revd. William Bolland was appointed Deacon in charge of the parish and an existing sandstone house at Te Henui was chosen as his residence.

The building which still exists today was an extension of the original house. It was at least partly designed by the noted architect Frederick Thatcher.

It was purchased by the New Plymouth City Council in 1949 from the Taranaki Anglican Trust Board. On 10 December 1960, New Plymouth mayor, Mr. A.G. Honnor, unveiled a plaque recognising the historic significance of the building.  

In conjunction with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust major restoration work was carried out in the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1973, in a ceremony attended by about 100 people, the building was handed back the vicarage to the council after the Trust's major restoration project. (Daily News 15 October 1073)

At the same ceremony the president of the New Zealand Society of Potters, John Fuller, opened a new workshop built behind the vicarage. New Plymouth Potters have continued to use the workshop and the vicarage since this date.(Daily News 13 October 1973)

Category I rating with Heritage New Zealand. 

Taranaki Land Deed Index I1 page 26.

Related documents:

Te Henui Vicarage brochure (N.P.D.C.)

The Old Stone Parsonage (Lysons & Carey 1953)

Money blamed for inaction on parsonage (City Express 8 August 1965)

Vicarage in full bloom (Taranaki Daily News 14 December 2012)

Stopping the rot to save history (Taranaki Daily News 25 September 2014)