Rev. W. A. Pyatt Appointed Dean Of Christchurch

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29749, 16 February 1962, Page 10

Rev. W. A. Pyatt Appointed Dean Of Christchurch

The new Dean of Christchurch is the Rev. W. A. Pyatt, vicar of St. Peter’s Church, Wellington. Announcing yesterday that he had made the appointment, the Bishop of Christchurch (the Rt. Rev. A. K. Warren) said Mr Pyatt’s nomination was confirmed on Wednesday evening by a combined meeting of the Cathedral Chapter and the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Christchurch. Mr Pyatt accepted the offer yesterday. Mr Pyatt was born in Gisborne in 1916. He was educated at Gisborne High School where he was dux and head prefect and played in the first fifteen; and in the first eleven. He then entered Auckland University College where he took a B A. in 1938 being senior scholar in history. He was nominated by Auckland for a Rhodes Scholarship. He took his M.A. in 1939. War Service At the beginning of 1939 Mr Pyatt embarked on the first part of his theological training at St. John’s College. Auckland, but in October of that year he sailed with the Ist Echelon as a second lieutenant in the 18th Auckland Battalion. He was wounded in Greece. For a period he was A.D C. to General Freyberg. He rose to the rank of major, commanded a tank squadron in the 18th Armoured Regiment and at the end of the war was second in command of the 20th Armoured Regiment. He went through to Trieste and from there left the Division to continue his theological training at Westcott House, Cambridge. He was ordained deacon at Lichfield, in 1946. by the Rt. Rev. E. S Woods. Bishop of that diocese. He was ordained priest in 1947. having been working as an assistant curate in the coal mining parish of Cannock in Staffordshire.

In 1948 Mr Pyatt returned to New Zealand, where he became vicar of Brooklyn until 1952. From then until 1958 he was vicar of Hawera. He then became vicar of St. Peter’s Church in Wellington, where he has been for the last five years. Much of his work there has been concerned with students and the young folk living in the centre of Wellington. Community Interests

He has been a member of the board of governors of Wellington Technical College, and a member of the board of directors of the Y.M.C.A. in Wellington. He has served on the management committee of the National Society of Alcoholism. For several years he has been a Rugby referee in Taranaki and Wellington. He is well known for his broadcasting, both from St. Peter’s Church and as one of the “Point of View” and “Lookout” speakers of the N.Z.B.S. He has served on the N.Z.B.S. Central Religious

Advisory Committee and the Wellington Diocesan Broadcasting Committee, and the National Council of Churches’ Commission on television. He has been a member of the Wellington Diocesan Standing Committee and Board of Nomination, the Maori Placement and Advisory Committee, and until recently was chairman of the Diocesan Boundaries Commission. He has served on the Anglican Provincial Committee on Public and Social Affairs. He has represented the Diocese of Melanesia on the New Zealand Anglican Board of Missions for the last 12 years. Mr Pyatt is married and has a family of one girl and two boys. Mrs Pyatt, who was formerly a trained teacher. has interests in educational and sporting circles; she has been chairman of the Women Students’ Hostel Society Which runs two hostels for the university and training college girls in Wellington.