The Hanover Street Baptist Church was the first Baptist church in Dunedin, New Zealand. It is no longer used for worship and has been renamed Hanover Hall. The present building, the second for the congregation, was designed by

Edmund Anscombe Edmund Anscombe (8 February 1874 – 9 October 1948) was one of the most important figures to shape the architectural and urban fabric of New Zealand. He was important, not only because of the prolific nature of his practice and the quality of ...

(1874–1948) and completed in 1912. As its name suggests, it is located in Hanover Street, northeast of the city centre, close to the

medical school A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, M ...

. Initially Dunedin Baptists worshipped with other Free Church groups until they established themselves in a building of their own. The church and its Sunday school were founded in 1863. A Superintendent of Otago Thomas Dick (1823–1900) was one of the initial trustees. Dr William Purdie, an Edinburgh graduate and an early and distinguished medical practitioner in Dunedin, was a founding father. A number of notable politicians and other well-known New Zealanders have been connected with the church including Dame Silvia Cartwright, a former

Governor-General of New Zealand The governor-general of New Zealand ( mi, te kāwana tianara o Aotearoa) is the viceregal representative of the monarch of New Zealand, currently King Charles III. As the King is concurrently the monarch of 14 other Commonwealth realms and li ...

, who spent most of her younger years in Dunedin. The congregation moved to another site in 1996. The building was unoccupied for a couple of years before being turned into a series of short lived restaurants and nightclubs. Hanover Street Baptist Church in Dunedin from ENE in 2016

Hanover Street Baptist Church in Dunedin from ENE in 2016

The structure is a fine design and was provided with good stained glass windows, some of which were removed when it was converted from a church to a bar. The present floor is apparently built some three feet above the original. While the overhead balcony pews appear to be intact they do not seem to be in good condition. One of the most interesting features is a pipe organ, which is believed to be only the second of its kind in New Zealand. (The other is at the

Dunedin Town Hall The Dunedin Town Hall, also known as the Dunedin Centre, is a municipal building in the city of Dunedin in New Zealand. It is located in the heart of the city extending from The Octagon, the central plaza, to Moray Place through a whole city blo ...

.) The instrument has not been serviced for some time and it is uncertain whether it is in working condition. There is a bell tower, a prominent feature of the locality. The building has been classified a Category I historic place by Heritage New Zealand, with registration number 4792. It needs attention to restore its original character. Until the mid-2010s it was occupied by a business called The Monkey Bar, and bore related signage until October 2018. In 2016 it was purchased by a local couple for the purpose of housing the

Dunedin Symphony Orchestra Dunedin Symphony Orchestra is a professional symphony orchestra based in Dunedin, New Zealand. It hosts an annual subscription series of concerts in the Dunedin Town Hall, performing repertoire from the Classical, Romantic and contemporary per ...

and was officially reopened for this purpose and renamed "Hanover Hall" in November 2018 by the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern. Hanover Hall interior East

References

Further reading