In a country churchyard

Press, 13 July 1985, Page 19

In a country churchyard

By

TESSA WARD

One of New Zealand’s pioneering architects, Benjamin Mountfort, designed St Mary’s Church, Halswell. It forms the basis for all his later wooden churches. In St Mary’s, Mountfort was able to fully develop the ideas of the Ecclesiologists in a way that was suited to New Zealand conditions. A similar architectural development took place in the United States where church designs were also influenced by English architectural theory and the importance of wood as a building material. St Mary’s, opened in 1863, represented a distinct change in Mountfort’s approach to architec-

ture, using the irregular functional planning of the Ecclesiologists. Each part of the church forms a separate unit clearly distinguished by variations of size and roof level. During the following 30 years Mountfort designed many timber churches, culminating in his finest design, St Mary’s at Parnell. The style of all these churches embraces the essential characteristics of St Mary’s, Halswell. Before 1858, the Halswell district was largely a swamp, and with a flaxmill employing 20 men. A timber shortage developed as the Papanui bush was steadily milled out. By the 1860 s Kennedy’s Bush had become a major source of

timber. Services were held in private houses by the Rev. Croasdaile Bowen, vicar of Riccarton, who was in charge of the Halswell district. Only about two other churches in New Zealand retain their original timbers which are older than the timber in St Mary’s. To mark the consecration service in 1871 a Wellingtonian tree was planted; now it towers over the church grounds. After the consecration, the parishioners held a picnic under Kennedy’s gum trees and three of these trees are also still standing. All five acres of the church

grounds remain, encompassing the church, a vicarage, a church hall, and the cemetery. St Mary’s contains one of the five remaining communion sets of the 12 brought out on the first four ships to Canterbury. A charming lych gate of rimu and Australian jarra was built for the church in 1891. When Halswell became a parish in its own right in 1898 the Rev. Henry Williams was appointed as the first vicar. Several well-known people of Canterbury’s early history are buried in the cemetery, including Sir John Cracroft-Wilson, who gave the Cashmere Hills their name, Harry Ell, who built the

Summit Road, and Tremayne Curnow, a vicar in several Canterbury parishes. Fire destroyed the east end of the church in 1967 and, after much discussion, the parishioners decided to retain the remaining parts of the church and add a new sanctuary area. The church organ is the second oldest organ in New Zealand, dating from 1790-1820. It was brought to New Zealand for a private residence in Papanui Road, later given to Calvary Chapel and bought by the church in 1968.