BUILDING FEAT.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20108, 11 December 1930, Page 4

BUILDING FEAT.

CHURCH IN NEW GUINEA. Returning from England, where he attended the Lambeth Conference, the Bight Eov. H. Newton, Anglican Bishop of New Guinea, atrived in Wellington by the Eotorua last Saturday evening, and left for the north on Sunday. He gave an interesting description of the mission at New Guinea, its work and progress among the Papuans, and especially of the building of a substantial church which was consecrated last year. "The work of the mission was begun on August 10th, 1891," said Bishop Newtoii, "when two prießts landed on the north-east coast near the village of Widau. There are now 47 white members of the staff of tho mission, twelve of whom are priests, two Working in the white centres of the population. There are a doctor who is in deacon'a orders and a large number of women teachers and nurses on the staff. There are also six Papuan priests and three Papuan deacons, as well as forty trained Papuan teachers. There are now about 2000 children in tho mission schools, 40 in number." A Concrete Structure. "In 1929,'' the Bishop'continued, "a lime concrete church which holds about 500 poople was completed at Boianai. The work was done entirely by Papuans and was a remarkable feat considering that the people 'have just emerged from the stono age. The church was five years in building, ana all tho materials excepting the iron of tho roof, nuils, paint, aud such-like were provided by, the people who built ; it The coral to make the lime was parried to the site on their backs by Paflu&nfl, who went 16 miles across the add to an island to get suitable sand for the conerete-making. One or tw6 iourneys were made each month in a whale-boat. They cut all tho timber

for the easing and the roof with pitsaws in tlub Bctub about.six miles from the site, and carried or floated the timber that distance, "The church, which is a very handidme one, with solid foundations, Was dedicated on All Saints' Day, 1959, when there were some 1500 Papuans present and 750 communicants. There

■ were seven white priests, six Papuan 1 priests, and three Papuan de&eona asso- - dated with the Bishop jj.t the dedie* tion. The Lieutenant-Governor, Bir Herbert Murray, «h present at tie aeri visa, and at a reception held afterward , he congratulated the people on having i cOftipleted the best church building i® > the territory,*'