Presbyterianism had a strong following in the early days of Waverley and the foundation stone for St Andrew's Church was laid by the Hon. William Fox on 7 June 1877.
St Andrew's was designed by the notable Wellington architect Mr Thomas Turnbull (General Assembly Library, St Peter's Church in Willis Street) and built by Jones & Peachey (Whanganui) at a cost of £750.10.6. The church was opened on 16 December 1877.
Additions (two wings) were completed in 1893 and in 1911 a Sunday School Hall was erected at a cost of £900.00. The hall was designed by Messrs. Banks & Wall and the contractor was Mr Sam Price. It was officially opened on 6 June 1911.
On 22 June 1921 a memorial tablet was unveiled in St Andrew's Church to commemorate the local soldiers killed in WWI.
The Anglicans and Presbyterians joined forces in 1976, becoming a co-operating parish. In 1980 a decision was made to build a new co-operating church on the Weraroa Road site of the Presbyterian church at a cost estimated to be $90,000. Work began to demolish the church on 30 March 1981.
The hall was retained and is located next to the new church complex.
Related documents:
Opening of St Andrew's Church - Column 1 (Patea Mail 19 December 1877)
Opening of St Andrew's Church - Column 2 (Patea Mail 19 December 1877 - scroll down the page)
St Andrew's Sunday School Hall - Waverley Heritage Inventory (2002).
Please do not reproduce these images without permission from Puke Ariki.
Contact us for more information or you can order images online here.
