Hear the echoes of hymns. St Michael and All Angels Church stands as a testament to faith in Auckland. While the specific history of this St Michael and All Angels Church remains untold here I can share stories of similar churches.
St Michael’s Catholic Church in Remuera. It is a heritage-listed Roman Catholic parish church. The church was completed in 1933. Heritage New Zealand listed it as a Category I Historic building on April 2 1985. George Tole and Horace Massey designed the church. The NZIA awarded it the gold medal the same year. St Michael’s Catholic School is also run by the parish. It is an integrated primary school that was established in 1916.
Let’s journey to Christchurch. There you’ll find the Church of St Michael and All Angels. This Anglican church is located at 84 Oxford Terrace. Heritage New Zealand has registered the church building as Category I. Its freestanding belfry is registered separately.
The structure stands on the site of the first church. Canterbury Association settlers built it in 1851. Henry Jacobs preached the sermon. He also conducted the service at the opening of the church in July 1851. St Michael & All Angels served as the pro-cathedral. This lasted until ChristChurch Cathedral was completed in 1881.
William Fitzjohn Crisp was the architect of the current church. He came from England in 1864. He was a pupil of Robert Speechly. George Gilbert Scott appointed Speechly. Speechly supervised the building of Christ Church Cathedral. The cornerstone of St Michael and All Angels was laid on September 29 1870. This was the Feast of St Michael & All Angels. Problems arose during construction. Crisp returned to Britain in 1871. Frederick Strouts was appointed as supervising architect in June of that year. The building was completed in 1872. James Schoolbraid was the contractor. Strouts described him as a very obliging worker.
The church opened on May 2 1872. The chancel was not completed until 1875 due to a lack of money. The planned bell tower and spire were never constructed. The church is mainly constructed of mataī timber. It sits on rubble stone foundations. It is one of the largest timber Gothic Revival churches in the Southern Hemisphere. Only one alteration has been made to the church structure. A tie-beam and secondary arch were removed in 1896. This gave a better view of the east window.
Benjamin Mountfort designed the separate belfry in 1861. It is a survival from the previous church building. The bell inside was brought out with the First Four Ships in 1850. It was rung every hour of daylight. This indicated the time to the first settlers.
Alfred Averill became the vicar of St Michael and All Angels in 1894. He later rose to become Archbishop of New Zealand. St Michael’s Church School is associated with the church.
The wooden building survived three major earthquakes in 2010/11. It remained almost unscathed. It was the only Anglican church that remained in use in the central city. The plans had been drawn with regard to the threat of tremors. The vestry decided on wood as the building material. This decision was influenced by the late severe shocks of earthquake.
A Lenten service at St Michael’s and All Angels Church was attended by Victoria Matthews. She was the Bishop of Christchurch. Kevin Rudd also attended. He was the Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs. Rudd lit a candle in memory of those who died in the February 22 2011 earthquake.
The present Henry Bevington and Sons pipe organ was installed in 1873. Fincham and Hobday enlarged it in 1895/6. The organ was damaged in the February 22 2011 earthquake. It was subsequently removed for repairs. A temporary replacement was an organ built from parts of instruments damaged during World War II bombing raids on Britain. The Bevington organ was reinstalled with improvements in 2013. The South Island Organ Company carried out the work.
Many vicars have served at St Michael and All Angels over the years. These include Octavius Mathias Henry Jacobs and Alfred Averill. Each vicar has contributed to the rich history of this sacred place.
Though I lack specific details about this particular St Michael and All Angels Church I hope these stories of similar churches have provided insight into the history. Consider this as you reflect on the enduring legacy of faith. Let us appreciate the architectural beauty and spiritual significance. St Michael and All Angels stands as a beacon of hope in the community.