HOW CHURCH FUND GREW.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 224, 21 September 1929, Page 10

HOW CHURCH FUND GREW.

BUILDING OF ST. MATTHEW'S. anniversary to-morrow. PIONEERS OF THE PARISH. In tlio words of the vicar, the Rev. Canon Grant Cowen, "the history of St. Matthew's Church is practically the history of Auckland, for the first wooden Church was built when Queen Street was a track and when the waters of the harbour came : up to Shortland Street." To-lnorrow the "congregation Will celebrate the 76th anniversary and patronal festival, while the children of the Sunday School will take part in a flower service and afterwards •distribute floral gifts to patients in the Auckland and St. Helen's Hospitals. In the evening a, thanksgiving service will be conducted by the vicar, this being his first appearance in the church since his indisposition. In the earliest days of Auckland Bishop Selwyn reserved, an acre of ground on the crest above Wellesley Street West and placed there a small wooden building to serve as a school for the children of families who lived on either side of "the rough track which has since been replaced by Hobson Street. On Sundays adult members of those families went by way of a track across the gully which afterwards became I Queen Street, and attended divine "service [in St. Paul's Church, a small structure of wood which then stood at the to|f of Shortland Street, overlooking Emily Place. St. Paul's is the oldest Anglican church in Auckland' and St. Matthew's comes next. Students from St, John's. As population increased dn the Hobson Street area young deacons and students of St. John's College, Tamaki, conducted services in the school room, and in 185. c a parochial committee was formed tc establish a new parish. The first vicai was the Rev. F. Thatcher, who came from England. He established a reputation as the co-designer, with Bishof Selwyn, of what have become known as the "old Selwyn 'churches" around Auckland. Among the fine old colonists whose names are preserved as original

; workers in the parish are those of CapI tain A. M. Russell (who later held j Cabinet rank and who was the father of Sir William Russell), Messrs. James i Burtt, Thomas Weston, Taylor, Sanderj son, Mcintosh, Mayne and Hoop and j Captain Pulhani. I A wooden church was first erected, and } at the same time a fund was opened with j a view to the eventual building of a : stone edifice. At the head of the fund j was the name of Archdeacon Lush. The j sum of £300 was raised in the town and £200 was, collected by the first vicar from his friends in England. So wisely were the funds invested that at the end jof fifty years the accumulations j amounted to £33,000, and in 1902 the i foundation stone of the existing hand- | some building Was laid by Lord Ranj furly. A feature of the ceremony was ! that it was carried out with Masonic 1 honours. Archbishop Cowie, then ; Primate of New Zealand, took part, as j also did Mr. A. S. Russell, Grand Master . of the Masonic Order. Stone from South Island. The stone for the church came from Oainaru, except that for the clerestory j piers, which, came from Christchurcli. The woodwork and roofing are of kauri. ' Resting under the foundation stone is a bottle containing among other relics a parchment setting forth the history of the parish, copies of the "Auckland Star'' and "New Zealand Herald" of April 23, 1902, containing reports of the parish and of the proposed church, and a copy of the "Church Gazette" for April 1 of that year. Two years were occupied in the erection of the building at a cost of £27,000. The consecration service on March 6, 1905, was conducted by Bishop Neligan. Its most impressive moment was when the Bishop laid his hands on this consecration Stone, which is a relic of St. Augustine, presented to the church by the authorities of the St. Augustine College, Canterbury; Through the years the bells of St.; Matthew's have called many thousands of people in Auckland to worship and praise. The church has also been the; scene of services on eventful occasions. Its vicars have been the Rev, F. Thatcher, the Rev. David Jones, the Rev. R. S. Hassard, the Rev. W. Tebbs, the Rev. L. H. Outram, the Rev. L. Fitzgerald, the Rev. W. E. Gillam, and, since 1919, the Rev. Canon C. 11. Grant Co wen. Former Vicar Passes. Since the last anniversary service the Rev. Mr. Gillam has passed away, and his ashes repose in the pillar of the consecratioil stone. Nearby a memorial will soon bo raised. Since last year also the new memorial font has been carved and consecrated. An interesting personal touch in connection with St. Matthew's is that Mr. J. H. Philpott, who took part in the opening of the.present church, still officiates as organist. A memory of old St. Matthew's is that it was there that Bishop Selwyn held his last service 1 before leaving New Zealand. A special invitation is extended to all St. Matthew's people, past and ; present, to attend the festival services" to-morrow. A social reunion will be held in the palish hall on Tuesday evening.