ST. PAUL'S CHURCH.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 243, 14 October 1929, Page 5

ST. PAUL'S CHURCH.

A NEW CHANCEL.

It is intended to complete St. Paul's Anglican Church in Syinonds Street at a cost estimated at between £SOOO and £9000. When the present church was built owing to lack of funds only the nave was completed in permanent material, mostly Rangitoto stone being used. The other portion of the building was constructed in wood, and it is now proposed to replace this with reinforced concrete screened with cavity blocks. The rear of the building will be three storeys high and the new portion will be twelve feet longer than the present one.

St. Paul's is the first Anglican church in New Zealand. The foundation stone was laid in IS4I by Governor Hobson on the site now occupied by Emily Place reserve. It was not until March 17, 1844, that the building was dedicated by Bishop G. A. Sehvyn. Improvements to the harbour front necessitated Britomart Point being cut down and St. Paul's Church had to be demolished. On June 11, 1594, the foundation stone of the present building in Symonds Stre£t was laid by the Governor, the Earl of Glasgow. *In 1914 an effort was made to raise funds to build the chancel in permanent material, but this work was interrupted by the outbreak of the Great War. At that time the foundations had been sunk and about £GOO had been collected.

It is felt that the time has now arrived when the completion of the building can be proceeded with. Besides being 12 feet longer, the new structure will be much wider than the present chancel and will open through a lofty arch of Oamaru stone, the width between the supports being 23 feet. The height of the arch will be 33 feet and access will be trained to it from the nave by a flight of "three steps running the full length, of the chancel. The depth from the steps to the windows, which are to comprise a memorial to the martyred Bishop Patteson, will be 33 feet. On each side of the windows are to be statues, one of St. Paul and one of St. Barnabas. To the left of the chancel a lady chapel will open from the choir through an arch. An organ loft is to be built in the south transept. The rood screen in stone separating the chancel from the nave provides for a central archway, with bays at either side, the dividing columns being arched with fan vaulting. The whole of the chancel will be finished in biscuit plaster, and the roof ribbed and \aulted in stone.