In a country churchyard

Press, 1 February 1986, Page 19

In a country churchyard

Unusual alterations to Pigeon Bay’s Knox Church after World War Two probably made this church unique to New Zealand. More Anglicans than Presbyterians had settled in the quiet farming bay by then and several features in the church were changed to make it suitable for Anglican worship. An altar was added to the communion table and a baptismal font, lectern, and prayer-desk were given. Knox Church was designed by aq|Jnnovatlve : archi-

tect from Christchurch, Samuel Hurst Seagar, and was opened in 1899. The Rev. Dr Elmslie of St Paul’s, Christchurch, and the parish minister, the Rev. D. Jamieson, conducted the first service for a congregation of 170 worshippers. They had managed to raise the full 450 pounds for the church, complete with handcut totara shingles for the roof. The history of this church is closely connected with the successive generates of the early

pioneering Hay family who were the original Scottish settlers of Pigeon Bay. They arrived there in 1843 and from 1850 onwards other settlers, mainly Scottish, began to arrive. Mr Ebenezer Hay invited from Scotland the first school teachers in the region and established a school considered to be the best in Canterbury at the time. The zealous devotion of its main teacher, Mr W. S. Fitzgerald, helped to attract ptijpls from as

far afield as Timaru and Wellington.

Church services were also held in the schoolhouse and the congregation pooled resources with, mother peninsula groups to bring out from Scotland the first Presbyterian minister for the Akaroa Parish, the Rev. George Grant, in 1862. He later became the first minister of St Paul’s in Christchurch; Several other preachers continued to visit the bay to conduct services.- ■

Today, the frail leadlight windows and other parts of the church are in need of restoration. To help raise funds for this and repairs to the local hall the local people have organised a visitors day to the bay on February 22. Activities will include a visit to an .old restored garden, a walk through the Hay Reserve of lowland podocarp native trees, and lunch in the hall.

By

TESSA WARD