RUSSELL CHURCH

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 67, 11 December 1937, Page 12

RUSSELL CHURCH

Eev. E. T. WEAENE,

Wellington.)

(By

There can be few more interesting buildings in New Zealand than Bussell Church. Erected in 1838, it can claim to be the oldest existing ecclesiastical building in New Zealand. It is a typieal colonial church, wooden, white painted, with shingled xoof, surmounted by a tiny belfry. It is the first building in Eussell that oue sees if one enters by road, for the present highway enters the tow-n-ship through the narrow gully down u hich came Kawiti on that autumn morning in 1845, to be checked by the Hazard's men at the churchyard fence. After the evacuation later in the same day^ the Hazard threw some round shot into the town, and a broken weatherboard in the side of the church facing the bay still tells, after eighty odd years, where one shot went. In the well-kept churchyard lie buried Maoris and whites side by side. Some of the graves date back to the time before New Zealand became a British colony, and stones bear the names of American sailors from ivew England whale ships ^which then frequented the bay. Among the graves in ihe churchyard is that of Augustus Hamilton, once registrar of Otago University. Mr Hamilton was a keen scientist, and especially an ethnologist, and his work on "Maori Art" won him fame. He was a frequent and important eontributor to the Transactiojjs of the N.Z. Institute, on subjects connected with the Maori. Ho died at the bay in 1913. There hs also another very interesting gravem the stone over which bears the followdng inscription: "In loving memory of Hannah Letheridge. The first white woman born. in N.Z. Born at Oihi, Bay of Islands, January, 1816. Died 14th April, 1907, aged 91 years." In the church is a wooden tablet with a rather crudely lettered inscription; "Sacred to the memory of (here follow six names and ages), late of H.M.S. Hazard, who fell in the defence of Kororareka, 11th March, 1845." The graves of the six men are in the churchyard, and over them has been erected a replica of the tablet within tho church. There is also another memorial record of the names of Eussell men who fell in the Great War> and in, this place one is thrilled to read Maori names among them. The largest monument of all in the churchyard is the stone erected by the New Zealand Government in memory of that fine old chief Waka Nene. The inscription speaks for itself: "This stone is erected by the Government of the Colony, which for Mipwards of 31 years he faithfully upheld. Sage in council, renowned in war, he died regretted by all the inhabitants of these islands at Eussell on August 4th, 1871." On January, 1840, to this church came Hobson and his retinsue to read to tiTe assembled residenta the commission which gave him authority at Lieutenant-Governor and the proclamation which extended the boundaries of New South Wales to include such parts of New Zealand as might be ceded to the Queen's sovereignty. ^ It is a great attraction to overseas tourists.