Christ Church Cathedral, Nelson

Christ Church Cathedral
Christ Church Cathedral
Nelson Anglican Cathedral
	Christ Church Cathedral from Trafalgar Street, Nelson
	41°16′34″S 173°17′02″E / 41.27611°S 173.28389°E
Address	1 Trafalgar Square, Nelson
Country	New Zealand
Denomination	Anglican
Website	nelsoncathedral.nz
History
Status	Cathedral
Founded	August 1925
Dedicated	3 December 1932; 28 May 1965;
Consecrated	14 April 1972; by Bishop Peter Sutton
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Architectural type	Church
Style	Modernist Gothic Revival
Years built	1925 – 1965
Specifications
Capacity	350 people
Length	58 metres (190 ft)
Width	27 metres (89 ft)
Height	35 metres (115 ft)
Administration
Province	Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia
Diocese	Nelson
Parish	Nelson Central
Clergy
Bishop(s)	Steve Maina
Dean	Dr Graham O'Brien

Christ Church Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral church at 1 Trafalgar Square, Nelson, New Zealand. The cathedral serves as the seat for the Bishop of Nelson, currently Steve Maina, and is the mother church for the Diocese of Nelson of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia.

With seating for 350 people, the cathedral was completed in the Modernist Gothic Revival style,^[1] and is 58 metres (190 ft) in length and 27 metres (89 ft) wide. The tower is 35 metres (115 ft) high.^[2]

History

The original church was erected in 1851 at a different site, and enlarged in 1859.^[3] In 1866 the church was named as Christ Church Cathedral and enlarged again.^[3] In 1887 a second church was constructed at the current site using much of the same materials of the previous cathedral.

Construction of the current cathedral began in 1925 and was finished in 1965.^[3] The cathedral was consecrated by Bishop Peter Sutton on 14 April 1972.^[1]

The majority of marble was sourced from the Pakikiruna Range, near Tākaka. When construction started the marble was to be used in blocks. However, after the 1929 Murchison earthquake this was deemed too risky and far too expensive. The marble was then ground down and mixed with plaster to give the unusual appearance and colour.^[2]

The steps are constructed from granite. This granite was obtained from Tonga Beach, which is now part of Abel Tasman National Park.^[4] There is now a monument that overlooks Trafalgar Street and celebrates 100 years of settlement in Nelson.

Organ

The church's first pipe organ was constructed by T.C. Lewis in London and shipped to Nelson in 1871.^[4] The organ was then rebuilt in 1932. After 30 years of use the organ was overhauled and now consists of 2500 pipes. The organ is spread over three manuals and pedals and has a detached electric-action console situated on a gallery opposite the pipes in the chancel.^[4]

Gallery

Christ Church Cathedral looking east. "Centre of New Zealand" visible to the left of tower.
The cathedral acts as a terminating vista for Trafalgar Street, one of central Nelson's main retail streets.

Vicars of Christ Church Parish

Rev Charles L. Reay 1842-1847
Rev Henry F. Butt 1847-1857-Note, laid the foundation stone of Christ Church Nelson.
Rev Henry M. Turton 1863-1864
Rev George H. Johnstone 1864 1873
Rev James Leighton 1874-1884-Note, was also appointed Chaplain to the Bishop, and was a chaplain to the Nelson City Rifles in 1875.
Ven John P. Kempthorne 1885-1916-Note, was appointed Archdeacon of Waimea 1916-1926 and Canon of Nelson in 1916.

Dean & Vicar of Nelson Cathedral

Very Rev George E. Weeks 1916-1922
Very Rev Charles F. Askew 1923-1933
Very Rev Henry J. Raymer 1933-1934-Note, 1901-1902 acting Chaplain British Imperial Forces South African War and later 1937-1941 served as Chaplain Bromley College diocese of Rochester.
Very Rev Percy B. Haggitt 1934-1950
Very Rev Eric A. Gowing 1950-1956
Very Rev William Bretton 1956-1970
Very Rev Gavin Yates 1970-1981
Very Rev Michael J. Hurd 1981-1993
Very Rev Charles Tyrrell QSO 1994-2010
(Rev Cannon Tony Andrews (Acting Dean and Priest in Charge)
Very Rev Nick Kirk 2011-2016
(Rev Owen Haring (Priest in Charge)
Very Rev Mike Hawke 2016-2021
Very Rev Dr Graeme O'Brien 2021-

Associate Priest's Nelson Cathedral

Rev Allen Michel
Rev Ren Kempthorne
Rev Yvonne McLean
Rev Barry Price
Rev Simon W

Deacon Curates Nelson Cathedral

Rev William A. Whyte 1877

References

^ ^a ^b Stade, Karen (2008). "Nelson's Landmark Cathedral". The Prow. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
^ ^a ^b A Guide to Christ Church Cathedral Nelson New Zealand (Second ed.). Nelson: A. G. Betts & Sons Ltd. 1969.
^ ^a ^b ^c De Butts, Brenda; Horrocks, Shirley (1971). Historic Nelson. Nelson: R. W. Stiles and Company Ltd. p. 9.
^ ^a ^b ^c Christ Church Cathedral Nelson. Nelson: The Printhouse Nelson. 2002.