WELLINGTON CATHEDRAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 197, 21 July 1937, Page 8

WELLINGTON CATHEDRAL.

ANOTHER HANDSOAIE GIFT. BY PALAIERSTON NORTH RESIDENT. Per Press Association. AVELLINGTON, July 20. Following the example of the Bishop of AVellington, Rt. Rev. H. St. Barb© Holland, who has given £IOOO towards the proposed Anglican Cathedral in AA r ellington, it was announced to-day at the Diocesan Synod session that Air C. H. Handley, of Palmerston North, a synodsman, would forward a cheque before the end of this month for a. similar amount to be devoted to the cathedral. Other gifts also were reported. BISHOP’S GENEROSITY. The Bishop of AVellington’s contribution was erroneously telegraphed as £IOO. It has been estimated that the cost of the land will be £70,650, the cost of the Cathedral £200,000, and the cost of a Synod Hall, etc. (in Sydney Street) £20,000, making a total of £290,650. SITE FOR CATHEDRAL. PROPERTIES INA r OLVED. AVELLINGTON, July 21. There have been several proposals as to a site for the AVellington Cathedral over the past quarter of a century. At one time an extensive area of land in Taranaki Street was acquired, just a little to the south of the Alethodist church, and was for many years labelled “cathedral site.” But it became a timber-yard, and, as such, lay fallow as far as the church was concerned.

There are 15 properties involved in the block between Eccleston Hill and Molesworth Street, where the cathedral will be erected. Of these four belong to the Crown, one being the Ministerial residence for so long occupied by the late Rt. Hon. R. J. Seddon when Premier of New Zealand. ,Tlie other Crown land sections are unoccupied and have been so for years. These are the only lands —at the extreme northern end of the block—over which no option to purchase has been given. One important feature, which makes the project a city improvement of some magnitude, is the fact that there exists a city corporation by-law over the building alignment on the western side of Molesworth Street. This bylaw imposes on owners when rebuilding or building to set back the building line 16 feet from the existing one. Molesworth Street is 49ft. Gin. in breadth, so that the extra 16 feet will, in time, provide a street 65i’t. Gin. in width. Another advantage is the number of streets in the vicinity of the block which could be made available as parking space for cars on special occasions, Hill Street, Eccleston Hill, Aitken Street and Wingfield Street.