OLD ST. PAUL'S CHURCH
'Old St. Paul's church' is signified to be one of New Zealand's most historic places. Designed by Reverend Fredrick Thatcher, the building was produced to have the Gothic revival style. This was because Thatcher was heavily influenced by the teachings of the English Ecclesiological society which is a movement that was advocated to the return of Gothic Style of religious architecture.
The mixture of Gothic design and wood construction produced Old St. Paul's to be depicted as one of New Zealand's finest early building and most " Loveliest of all wooden churches", being one of the best examples of Gothic revival adapted to wood as the building material, therefore can be referred as 'Colonial Gothic'. The designs of the wooden archways, solid square pillars, stained glass windows and roof timber clearly shows the Gothic revival adapted to suit the materials, which even though it is early English Gothic it is unmistakeably a New Zealand church. This magnificent timber Gothic revival architecture therefore has the immediate impression of New Zealand through the wooden arches of the nave, rimu for the framing and trusses, matai and totoara for the flooring, kauri for the seats and totoara for the sheathing.
The mixture of Gothic design and wood construction produced Old St. Paul's to be depicted as one of New Zealand's finest early building and most " Loveliest of all wooden churches", being one of the best examples of Gothic revival adapted to wood as the building material, therefore can be referred as 'Colonial Gothic'. The designs of the wooden archways, solid square pillars, stained glass windows and roof timber clearly shows the Gothic revival adapted to suit the materials, which even though it is early English Gothic it is unmistakeably a New Zealand church. This magnificent timber Gothic revival architecture therefore has the immediate impression of New Zealand through the wooden arches of the nave, rimu for the framing and trusses, matai and totoara for the flooring, kauri for the seats and totoara for the sheathing.
The social history of Old St. Paul's tells of New Zealand's journey from colony to independent nation. The funerals of prime ministers were held here, the land wars of the 1860's and soldiers of the first world war are also commemorated here in glass and brass memorials, being one of New Zealand's greatest heritage battles, ultimately giving great cultural and historical context to this church.
REFERENCE
Alington, M. & Oliver, T. (E.d.). (1988). Old St. Paul's Wellington. Wellington, New Zealand: Friends of the Old St. Paul's.
Moore, D. (1970). Old St Paul's, The first hundred years. Wellington, New Zealand: A.R. Shearer.
New Zealand Historic Places Trust. ( 2007). Old St. Paul's. http://www.historicplaces.org.nz/placestovisit/lowernorthisland/oldstpauls.aspx
Alington, M. & Oliver, T. (E.d.). (1988). Old St. Paul's Wellington. Wellington, New Zealand: Friends of the Old St. Paul's.
Moore, D. (1970). Old St Paul's, The first hundred years. Wellington, New Zealand: A.R. Shearer.
New Zealand Historic Places Trust. ( 2007). Old St. Paul's. http://www.historicplaces.org.nz/placestovisit/lowernorthisland/oldstpauls.aspx
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