Holy Trinity Church is a heritage-listed

Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

building A building or edifice is an enclosed Structure#Load-bearing, structure with a roof, walls and window, windows, usually standing permanently in one place, such as a house or factory. Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and functions, a ...

at 12 Henui Street, Fitzroy,

New Plymouth New Plymouth () is the major city of the Taranaki region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after the English city of Plymouth, in Devon, from where the first English settlers to New Plymouth migrated. The New Pl ...

, New Zealand. The church is one of the heritage buildings registered by

Heritage New Zealand Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga (initially the National Historic Places Trust and then, from 1963 to 2014, the New Zealand Historic Places Trust; in ) is a Crown entity that advocates for the protection of Archaeology of New Zealand, ancest ...

as a Category 1 Historic Place located in New Plymouth. It is one of the few remaining church buildings that had their foundations in the earliest period of European settlement. The current building replaced the original Anglican

chapel A chapel (from , a diminutive of ''cappa'', meaning "little cape") is a Christianity, Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. First, smaller spaces inside a church that have their o ...

, which was built in the 1840s, with the foundation stone laid by Bishop George Selwyn and designed by

Frederick Thatcher The Reverend Frederick Thatcher (1814 – 19 October 1890) was an English and New Zealand architect and clergyman. He was born at Hastings to a long-established Sussex family. He practised as an architect in London from 1835 and was one of th ...

, a London-trained architect, and one of the first settlers arriving in New Plymouth in 1843.The Holy Trinity Church (Historic Place)
, ''Taranaki Educational Resource (TERRAIN)'', Retrieved 19 March 2016. The current building is the result of the incorporation of the original building into various expansions. Having been altered in 1872, the church was extended in 1888 by James Sanderson, and again in 1903 by Francis Messenger. It was renovated in 1927 (also by Messenger) and then again in the 1960s.Registration Report for a Historic Place – Holy Trinity Church (Anglican), New Plymouth
, ''New Zealand Historic Places Trust''. Retrieved from ''Kete New Plymouth'', 19 March 2016

History

New Plymouth was chosen as the site for New Zealand’s second European colony, with settlers arriving from 1841 onwards. The beginnings of

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

in the area came as a result of the need to provide the familiar spiritual and cultural institutions of home to the settlers, as well as missionary services to the Maori population. As the majority of colonists were members of the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...

, the

Church Mission Society The Church Mission Society (CMS), formerly known as the Church Missionary Society, is a British Anglican mission society working with Christians around the world. Founded in 1799, CMS has attracted over nine thousand men and women to serve as ...

was able to seek the appointment of a

Bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

for New Zealand, tasked with setting up the Anglican constitution in the new

Diocese In Ecclesiastical polity, church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided Roman province, prov ...

of New Zealand. Initially, the diocese included the whole country as well as islands from

Polynesia Polynesia ( , ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of more than 1,000 islands scattered over the central and southern Pacific Ocean. The indigenous people who inhabit the islands of Polynesia are called Polynesians. They have many things in ...

. In 1841 George Augustus Selwyn was appointed the Bishop of New Zealand. He arrived in New Zealand in 1842 and began his work. After visiting New Plymouth in October 1842, Bishop Selwyn begun to organize the construction of churches in this new parish. He appointed the reverend William Bolland as

Deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian denominations, such as the Cathol ...

for the parish of New Plymouth, allocating an existing sandstone house at Te Henui as residence for him and his family. He also got in touch with

, a London-trained architect, associate of the

Royal Institute of British Architects The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...

, who arrived in New Plymouth in 1843. He was a key figure in the development of New Zealand’s Gothic Revival vernacular churches. With the funding provided by the Bishop Selwyn, reverend Bolland along with architect

begun the building process of two new churches, St Mary’s Church in central New Plymouth, and the Holy Trinity Church at Henui, now in Fitzroy. Inaugurated in 1845 with the foundation stone laid by Bishop George Selwyn, the Holy Trinity Church is the “oldest edifice erected for (Anglican) Divine service in Taranaki” and is one of New Zealand’s oldest remaining churches, or remnants of churches. The initial building was a board and thatch construction, and was only intended as a temporary structure. The advent of the Taranaki Wars and other factors, however, delayed the building of a permanent structure until 1872 when board, battens and shingles replaced the existing rustic cladding materials. The current building is the result of various expansions. The 1870s and 1880s alterations to the building also coincide with a second wave of church building in New Zealand when many other early churches were either replaced or expanded. Having been altered in 1872, in 1888 the building was then divided in two to accommodate the creation of transepts. After three further significant projects, the size of the building have expanded, and as a result the small and simple initial building was transformed into a modestly sized timber church. The additions to the simple original Holy Trinity Church building have included

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

features such as transepts, an apse, lancet windows and high steep gables. The historic importance of the Holy Trinity Church is based on its direct association with the establishment of the Church of England in New Zealand. The association of the place with Bishop Selwyn who is of national historical significance, and figures of considerable local importance, such as Reverend Bolland and Archdeacon Govett, further increases its relevance as these people shaped the Church in the mid-nineteenth century, not to mention that the original building was a rare survivor of the Taranaki Wars. Holy Trinity Church also has architectural importance because of its associations with Frederick Thatcher and significant local architects, James Sanderson and Francis John (Frank) Messenger. The current building was registered in the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (now

), on 23 August 2012.

Image gallery

File:NZ_NP_Holy Trinity Church Anglican (8).jpg,

Holy Trinity Church

File:NZ_NP_Holy Trinity Church Anglican (1).jpg,

Holy Trinity Church, east side

File:NZ_NP_Holy Trinity Church Anglican (4).jpg,

Holy Trinity Church, west side

File:NZ_NP_Holy Trinity Church Anglican (6).jpg,

Holy Trinity Church, south side

References

Bibliography

*Heritage New Zealand,
New Zealand Heritage List
'

Additional resources

*Porter, Frances; ''Historic Buildings of New Zealand: North Island'', New Zealand Historic Places Trust, Auckland, N.Z., Methuen, 1983, ISBN 0456031103

External links

{{New Plymouth District Heritage New Zealand Category 1 historic places in Taranaki 19th-century Anglican church buildings in New Zealand Buildings and structures in New Plymouth Listed churches in New Zealand Churches completed in 1872 1872 establishments in New Zealand 1870s churches in New Zealand Frederick Thatcher church buildings Gothic Revival architecture in New Zealand