GOLDEN WEDDING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25394, 27 November 1943, Page 4

GOLDEN WEDDING

ARCHBISHOP AND MRS AVERILL (Special) AUCKLAND, Nov. 26. Archbishop and Mrs A. W. Averill will celebrate on Tuesday the fiftieth anniversary of their wedding. It was on November 30, 1893, that the then Rev. Alfred Walter Averill, senior curate of Holy Trinity, Dalston, and vicar-designate of St. Michael and All Angels, Christchurch, New Zealand,

and Miss Mary Weir, second daughter of William Frederick Weir, of South street, Park Lane, London, were married at Christchurch, Lancaster Gate, London. Archbishop Averill was then aged 28. He was born in Stafford and had been five years in the ministry, first as assistant curate of St. George’s, Hanover Square, and then as senior curate at Dalston. He came to the Dominion in 1894, and spent the next 16 years as parish priest under the archbishop whom he was later to succeed as Primate of New Zealand, Archbishop Julius, of Christchurch. Archbishop Averill was called in 1909 to become Bishop of Waiapu. in succession to Bishop Leonard Williams, and four years later lie was asked to come to the diocese of Auckland. Eleven years afterwards he became Primate of New Zealand, and he continued in this office until April. 1940. when he retired. Archbishop Averill had then completed more than 51 years in the service of the church. Helping him through all this time was Mrs Averill, to whose constant aid the archbishop has on many occasions expressed his debt. Practically all of their 50 years of married life has been passed in New Zealand.