Jacobs River is a locality in the
West Coast region of the
South Island
The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...
of New Zealand, situated just to the north of where crosses the
Jacobs River.
Bruce Bay is about to the south-west, and
Fox Glacier
Fox Glacier (; officially Fox Glacier / Te Moeka o Tuawe) is a temperate maritime glacier located in Westland Tai Poutini National Park on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. Like nearby Franz Josef Glacier, Fox Glacier is one of th ...
is almost to the north-east, by road.
Church
A small Anglican church, known as St Peter's Church, was built by Bert Weenick and Harry Bush at Jacobs River in 1931, on land donated by local farmer Bob Ritchie.
The church was opened on the morning of 13 December 1931, following by a picnic lunch, and the first service with a congregation of 62 worshippers took place that afternoon. It was later taken over by the Roman Catholic church when the Anglican congregation in the area declined, and renamed Our Lady of the River.
During
Cyclone Fehi in early 2018, the church was blown off its foundations and destroyed.
Two years later, on 1 February 2020, a memorial on the site was blessed by Anglican and Catholic bishops of Christchurch,
Peter Carrell and
Paul Martin
Paul Edgar Philippe Martin (born August 28, 1938), also known as Paul Martin Jr., is a Canadian lawyer and retired politician who served as the 21st prime minister of Canada and the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2003 to 2006.
Th ...
, and the Māori Anglican bishop of Te Waipounamu,
Richard Wallace. The memorial includes a carved stone installation by
Fayne Robinson.
Education
The nearest school is in Fox Glacier, following the closure of Jacobs River School on 27 January 2013. The school buildings and land were subsequently purchased by
Te Rūnanga o Makaawhio.
References
External links
Jacobs River School website
{{Westland District
Westland District
Populated places in the West Coast Region