The Centennial

Lake County Mail, Issue 11, 6 August 1947, Page 7

The Centennial

This is the third instalment of a series of articles written by the Rev. P. Anderson portraying the interest the Presbyterian Church has taken in the development of Otago and Southland.

THE PARISH OF 1 THE WAKATIPU

In these days of easier and quicker communication, it is difficult for us to realise the conditions of life in such rough counti’y as the Lake Dis trict during the early settlement. It was hard for the runholder with his far-flung,, runs, but how much more so for the man whose task was constant travel over even greater distances the early minister! It will be a revelation to many

Wakatipians, as it was to the writer, to learn what were the original bounds of the parish. Here is the record: The parish consisted of Kingston, Glenorchy, Queenstown, Miller’s Flat, Skippers, Arrowtown, Macetown, Gibston, Cardrona, Pembroke, and all these places at that time with considerable populations.

Let us see how each of these places developed in church life as evidenced by the establishment of church build-

ings : In Queenstown the earliest Presbyterian services were held in a Methodist church standing in Ballarat street, on the street line beside the present school. It had to hd removed when the road was made. In many communities of those days the churches were “ Union ” churches, even as to-day, “ outback,” the communities are largely “ union ” ones. Alexander Don relates how in one place an Anglican locum scared away many of the congregation by his ritual, aiid when the vicar returned he wanted to know “ where are MY Presbyterians'? ”

Frankton was the first settlement to have a church building of its own, namely, 18G3. When the goldfields were opened up, it was planned to build the township at Queenstown. However, negotiations with Mr Rees were so protracted that the authorities moved out to Frankton, and surveyed it for building blocks. This had scarcely been done, however, than a settlement was effected at Queenstown, and all the public buildings at Frankton were moved bodily to Queenstown. However, a portion of the Courthouse was left, and this was acquired for use as a church. In the 1870’s it was somewhat enlarged, and will now hold some 50 people. It is still in good order and in regular use. ,

St. Andrew’s, Queenstown, was opened for service in 1870, free of debt.

Miller’s'’ Flat Church was opened in 1871. The records show how the site was gifted to the Church, and the efforts that were made to pay off the debt.

The Arrowtown Church was opened in 1873.

The Glcnorchy Mission Hall in the Eees Valley must be somewhere about 60 years old. It was built*, through the initiative of the Valpy family, and they themselves for long maintained regular services there. The church has continued to remain the property of the community, and it is still regularly used by all the visiting ministers. The bounds of the parish were curtailed a little when in 1874 Mr Ross declared it was impossible to cover the district efficiently. Kingston was attached to Lumsden, Not till after Mr Ross’s departure was Wanaka and Cardrona detached, being for a long time in the charge of Cromwell, before being made a Church Extension Charge in 188 G. Arrowtowu was not detached from the parish till 1901, since which time the boundaries have not been

changed. • 1 will close this chapter with the comment that the Lake District should have a most justifiable sense of pride

in the fact that these early churches were practically built and paid for by the initiative and labour of the local people, themselves, whilst the Presbyteries made their best endeavours to supply the man-power for the ministry.