A CHURCHMAN WHO BUILDS CHURCHES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 2, Issue 36, 1 March 1940, Page 15

A CHURCHMAN WHO BUILDS CHURCHES

HE Rev.. W. E. D. Davies was born in Colombo, Ceylon, and was educated at Wesley and St. Clair Colleges there, and later at the Liverpool Institute, England. Before reading for Holy Orders, he had an adventurous four and a-half years at sea with the merchant service. His voyages took him to Mediterranean ports, the Far East, Africa, United States, and to most other parts of the world. He was once shipwrecked near America. During a visit to Russia in 1922, he gathered first-hand impressions of the Revolution. Coming to New Zealand, he was for some years connected with the Civil Service at Wellington. He was ordained in 1928 from St. John’s Theological College, Auckland, and served his curacy at St. James's Church, Lower Hutt, Wellington, as assistant to the Venerable Archdeacon A. L. Hansell, In 1930. he married the elder daughter of Archdeacon Hansell. Mrs. Davies is a grand-daughter of the late Archbishop Julius and a niece of the late H. P. Hansell, who was private tutor to His Majesty. King George VI. and the Duke of Windsor. Mr. Davies was appointed Widée of Feirlie, South Canterbury, in 1933, and during his time there the necessary finance was raised to build the wellknown Church of the Good Shepherd, Lake Tekapo, with its plate glass window acting as a reredos, and enshrining a view of the lake and mountains, The foundation stone of this now famous church was ‘laid. by: H.R.H. the Duke of Gloucester, during his visit to this country five -years ago. In 1935 Mr. Davies was appointed Vicar of Hokitika, and in 1936 he was made Rural Dean»of Westland. While at Hokitika he was instrumental in build-

> ti ing the new Hokitika Parish Chureh, and in placing the parish on a sound financial basis. He was also Chaplain to the Hokitika Public Hospital and to the Mental Hospital. In 1937 he was appointed Vicar of St. Matthew’s Church, St. Albans. When Archbishop Julius died, Mr. Davies was honorary secretary to the Archbishop Julius Memorial Fund, which raised £8,000 towards the completion of the Chancel in the Christchurch Cathedral as a memorial; work is now in abeyance owing to the war, In 1938 he was made honorary Chaplain of the R.N.V.R., New Zealand Division, in Christchurch. He has been a chaplain to Toc H for ten years. He is a nephew of the late Dr, Prins, one of the early medical prac titioners of Christchurch,