The story of St Michael’s Church: Part Two

Up until 1855, the country congregations were served by ministers who were resident in Nelson.

Constantine Dillon, a faithful leader of the church, had died and left a huge gap. However, there was a family who had come into the district and became great workers and Church benefactors.

This was the Blundell family, the patriarch of which was Captain Francis Horniblow Blundell, who settled on “Staplegrove” homestead. Francis died in 1865 and was buried in the church’s graveyard.

At the end of January 1866, a building committee was elected to investigate the building of a new church due to the old one being in a state of decay. In May the committee confirmed a new church was to be built and Thomas Brunner was appointed as the architect, William Hastilow as contractor  and W Morris as builder.

The committee decided that a memorial tablet to Captain Blundell was needed, as a tribute of respect and gratitude for religion ministrations, which he had faithfully delivered in the district for a period of fourteen year. With this, the church became a memorial church, possibly the first in New Zealand.

The foundation stone was laid by Mrs Blundell on 24 November 1866, with the service conducted by Bishop Selwyn. A parchment, together with other documents and a few coins, were placed in a bottle and inserted in a cavity in the stone, which was then lowered into place.

A tea party at the schoolroom followed the ceremony with cricket and other games played until dark when the party broke up with each person well-satisfied with the afternoon.

The church, with a capacity of about 150 people, was built in the early pointed style, having a tower at the east end surmounted by a small spire and was considered to be the most elegant structure of its kind in the province. The cost of the building and its fittings was about £500,

The opening took place on 5 July 1867, and despite rain falling all day a large crowd filled the church. It was not consecrated until the 13th of November as the new Bishop of Nelson, Andrew Suter, arrived later in the year.

A very formal ceremony took place with six reverends in attendance and a choir signalling their arrival into the church. Rev. Ewald read the petition for consecration which was signed by Messrs. Barnicoat and Baigent, the trustees of the Waimea district, and by the bishop.

The church received a number of gifts which added to the beauty of the interior; among these being a carved oak font sent out from England by the late Bishop of Nelson; a Glastonbury chair presented by the ladies of the parish; a beautiful carpet for the chancel, the gift of the Rev. A. Towgood; a crimson altar cloth; and two kneelers in Berlin work.

The church continues to stand proudly on the Waimea Plains, a testament to the pioneers and their dedication. On 5 April 1984, St Michael’s was registered with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust as a Category I structure.