ST. MARK'S CHURCH

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 26, 30 July 1937, Page 10

ST. MARK'S CHURCH

REBUILDING MOOTED

POSSIBLY IN 1946

ANNIVERSARY YEAR

The action of the Wellington Anglican Diocesan Synod recently in l rescinding resolutions of Synod of 1917 and 1919 approving and \ confirming the St. Mark's Church site, Dufferin Street, as the site for the Cathedral, and the decision to ' establish the cathedral at the .northern I end of the city has raised the question of what plans St. Mark's parish has in ' view for the future, now that its land is not required for the cathedral. It was learned from inquiries made today that it is proposed to use the Coffey Bequest and the parish rebuild- [ ing fund, now amounting to over : £40,000 in land and investments, for • the purpose of rebuilding St. Mark's : Church, possibly on the occasion of the seventieth anniversary of the church, which falls in 1946. Parishioners of St. Mark's, it was . stated, naturally were disappointed, . after having held the land for so long in the hope of seeing the cathedral rise i there, that the intention now was to , build the cathedral on the site situated at the corner of Hill Street and Molesworth Street. They realised, however, that with the changing development of Wellington's suburbs and the growth towards Johnsonville, Porirua, Tawa Flat, and the Hutt Valley, the natural confluence of population would be towards the north. COMMITTEE'S CONTENTIONS. This point was made by the Centenary Committee of Synod and it actuated the committee, according to ths report presented to Synod recently, in recommending the change from the St. Mark's site. The Centenary Committee submitted that the population centre has shifted to such an extent that the northern end of the city is now much more suitable for the.location of the cathedral, being far more convenient in relation to the city and suburban populations, and 'also for visitors from a.distance. The commitee also pointed out that all transport services by rail, bus, .and terry boat would. terminate round the new railway station, and thus would more conveniently serve a cathedral erected reasonably adjacent thereto. It was also desirable, the committee suggested, that the cathedral of the diocese should be as close as possible to Parliament, Government, and other principal public buildings. The site on which Synod, in terms of its decision recently, is desirous of seeing the Cathedral built has a frontage of 250 ft to Hill Street and a frontage of 430 ft to Moles worth Street, and the proposal. is to lay the foundationstone in the Centennial year,, 1940. Part of the site selected as being the most suitable for the Cathedral is Crown property, and whether Synod will be able to go ahead with its plans for erecting the Cathedral on this area depends entirely on the... willingness of the Government to sell. This is', a matter which it is intended to place before Cabinet, and action in this direction has been deferred pending the return of the Prime Minister and the Minister of: Finance to New Zealand, As the Minister of Finance is still abroad it will be some little time probably before a decision is reached. ST. MARK'S LAND. The extent'of the St. Mark's land is a little over two acres, and it is recognised as valuable and excellent property. Ground was acquired next door to the land on which the church, the church hall, and the vicarage actually stand, and it was pointed out today that there was at. least one advantage in having acquired the adjoining area, in that the St. Mark's Church School was' assured of a future, having a building intact and sufficient space for playing purposes. .