PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

Franklin Times, Volume 10, Issue 797, 5 January 1923, Page 5

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

TWO OF ITS EARLY WORKERS. THE PARISH OF PAPATOETOE. v The early colonisation of New Boland was a time of much anxiety ||lpj|g^handful of Englishmen* sealifting these shores. Like institutions which elate fBBBEKh distant time the Presbysuffered a period of -ogress. Inland, where jdjPnPPßr • ,; ~ were, the Maori the whites with always comes from the of a race of warriors in attack and inaccessible in retreat. The pionpers in the Presbyterian movement in Auckland gp those days included no more demoted worked than the Rev. Thomas Norrie, whose headquarters were at Drury, and the Rev. John Macky,' of Papatoetoe. Both these men had the charge* of parishes large in area but small in population ; both . possessed the one essential qualification for .their work in those strenuous days-r-sound physical health and strength, and/both maintained their, charge through the many vicissitudes that accompanied arid followed the Maori wars. They enjoyed always the love and respect of their people. Changes in tfie Parish. The Papatoetoe parish was founded i,n 1854, and, for the 48 years that followed, it grew in importnace and in population under the careful directloin of its founder, the Rev. John Macky, already mentioned. But as time went on it became necessary to reduce the extent of the parish when the flow of immigration set in from-England after 1870; and so it was that Mangere became joined with Onehunga,; and Otahuhu, West Tanrald and fiowick became separated from 1 Papatoetoe tq. take on a new importance in their local environments. The old Otara Hall, which was built on the Great South Road, was not only the centre of religious worship for the Presbyterians, true to their bid traditions, as Scotchmen or North Islanders, engaged a. certain Mr Lambert to keep school there on week-days and educate their children. Mr Lambert was followed in his duties as school master by a graduate of the Aberdeen University, a Mr Grant, and it was due to the inspiration of these two men that a Mutual Improvement Class was established at the school, which was, in fact, a debating!society. Appearance of Larger Building. Their liberality and enthusiasm for a public cause soon led the folk of the district to build a large and commodious church* and thq of their combined efforts was the appearance in 1863 of the present building. Though this was large enough to accommodate a congregation of about 23b peqple, it is said that even was/ well filled at the Sundaypservices. Many of /the old church members are Mill f&dflents of the district, and is to be numbered Mr John Wafton, who formerly took an active par\ in the church work and assisted a*re than once in doing the rounds trf the” of the parish.