OTAGO'S FIRST CHURCH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18566, 26 November 1923, Page 10

OTAGO'S FIRST CHURCH.

CELEBRATION OF JUBILEE.

CHURCH'S EARLY HISTORY.

DAYS OF SMALL THINGS.

[BY TELEGRAPH.OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

DUNEDIN, Sunday.

As Dunedin was founded by the Free Church of Scotland, the jubilee of the opening of the present First Church, which was celebrated to-day, is of more than passing interest. In the "forties," after the Church disruption in Scotland, hundreds of ministers left their churches and manses for liberty to worship in their own way. Many members thought that if, like "the Pilgrim Fathers of America, they could get to a new land they would have tho freedom they desired. in 1847 a large number of devoted Godfearing men and women left tho Homeland, under the leadership of Captain Cargill, afterwards tho first superintendent of Otago, and Dr. Thomas Burns, D.D., to form homes in New Zealand. They arrived here early in 1848, and laid the 'foundations of Dunedin. Dr. Burns was the first minister connected with tho church that was soon built—tho First Church of Otago. Miss A. Burns, who came out from Scotland with her father when sho was one year old, in the ship Philip Laing, gives some interesting details of the history of First. Church. Before the erection of 'the present fine building the first building stood in what is known as Lower High Street, It was made of rough stones. The church was ■ a very small building, and soon after it was opened in September, 1848, a wooden portion was added. At the back of the building the hill was covered with scrub, and there were only a few feet of ground between the church and the harbour. Services were held at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. No services could be held at night, since candles were the only source of light in those days. There was no organ and no choir, but the congregation joined in singing the metrical psalms. The whole service was, of course, very different from what it is now. Tho congregation sat down while the hymns were being sung, and rose for the prayers. The people were very earnest and very attentive, and while the minister.was speaking the silence was broken only by the lapping of the water on the stones of the harbour shore close at hand. The little building, with its bare rafters and generally quaint appearance, was used for all purposes. It was the school, the Parliament house, and was used for meetings of all descriptions. The second church was a wooden building, and was erected in Dowling Street. It was built in the early sixties, and was much larger than the original church. It had barely been completed when a fire broke out near by, and the people were fearful lest the church _ should be destroyed before even one service had been held in it. However, the wind shifted slightly, and the new church escaped., but the old building was entirely destroyed by the flames. By the time the new building was erected it had been found that one minister could not cope . with the work, and Knox Church had been founded, and tho Rev. Dr. Stuart (grandfather of Mr. D. M. Stuart, the well-known football selector), had arrived from Scotland, and had taken up his duties as minister of Knox Church. . _, , There was no organ in l<irst blnircn until the present building was erected in 1873, from a design by the late Mr. K. H. Lawson, of Dunedin. It ism the early Gothic style, and cost £14,000. Ihe idea of having a beautiful church had been for years in Dr. Burns' mind, but he did not live to see the full realisation of his dream.