Saint Columba Anglican Church

Gazing at Saint Columba Anglican Church, can you sense the echoes of its past? This isn’t just a building. It’s a vessel of stories, a testament to a community’s resilience. Saint Columba Anglican Church stands on hallowed ground, replacing an earlier structure deemed too noisy due to the encroaching city’s hustle and bustle. The year was 1930. The parishioners of Grey Lynn sought solace. They found it here, nestled away from the burgeoning tram lines and concrete roads that marked Auckland’s progress, in a new sanctuary designed by diocesan architect, D.B. Patterson. Saint Columba Anglican Church opened its doors on March 29, 1931. Its Victorian Gothic architecture speaks of a timeless elegance, a brick edifice crowned with a tiled roof and a distinctive wooden tower topped with a copper canopy. In 1964, a memorial bell, a resonant tribute to John Taylor Woodhall, joined the church’s ensemble. The church’s charm lies partly in its seclusion, set back from the road amidst a verdant sanctuary of pohutukawa, phoenix palms, Selwyn oaks, and totara. Step inside Saint Columba Anglican Church. Notice the words above the entrance: “Inquirentes Dominum non Minuentur Omni bono.” This Latin inscription, taken from Psalm 34:10, translates to “They that seek the Lord shall not want for any good thing.” It sets the tone for a space dedicated to quest, hospitality, new beginnings, and healing. Just inside, the stone baptismal font, a gift in memory of William Henry Lorking, greets you. Above, a Tongan Tapa cloth, a ngatu, symbolizes ritual and hospitality. Look closely at the west wall. You’ll find a stone from Canterbury Cathedral, a tangible link to a sacred space built in 1130. Opposite the entrance, an Iona Cross, crafted from marble brought from Iona itself by W.A. Lush, connects Saint Columba’s Scottish heritage with its New Zealand present. The east wall bears a poignant reminder of sacrifice. The Roll of Honour, installed after World War I, lists the names of those who served and those who fell in the Great War. Stained-glass windows, designed by C. Rupert Moore, cast a kaleidoscope of colors across the interior. These memorial windows, dedicated to Henrietta and John Woodhall, depict the Mother of Jesus with the infant Christ and Christ’s baptism. Other lights, also designed by Moore, portray the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, adding layers of symbolic meaning to the space. A unique feature of Saint Columba Anglican Church is its kowhaiwhai panels, added in 1981. Designed and created by the church community, St Stephen’s School, and Te Pihopatanga o Aotearoa, these panels weave Maori artistry and spirituality into the church’s fabric. The altar window, a 1963 gift in memory of founding member William Hickson, showcases Saint Columba and Saint Cuthbert, further anchoring the church in its rich historical context. Finally, the pipe organ, dedicated in 1955, stands as a memorial to those who served in World War II. Even outside, the story continues. The foundation stone, laid in 1930, the Selwyn oaks gracing the Surrey Crescent frontage, and the totara trees planted in the 1990s, all contribute to the rich tapestry of Saint Columba Anglican Church. It is a place where history, faith, and community converge, a place where stories continue to unfold.