All Saints' Church, Dunedin

All Saints' Church, Dunedin

All Saints' Church
General information
Type Church
Architectural style Gothic
Address 786 Cumberland Street, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
Coordinates 45°51′44″S 170°30′51″E / 45.8623°S 170.5141°E / -45.8623; 170.5141Coordinates: 45°51′44″S 170°30′51″E / 45.8623°S 170.5141°E / -45.8623; 170.5141
Design and construction
Architect William Henry Clayton [1] and William Mason
Designated 27-July–1988
Reference no. 2136

All Saints' is part of the Anglican parish of Dunedin North which includes the former parish of St. Martin's North East Valley and the northern part of the city of Dunedin, New Zealand. It is part of the Diocese of Dunedin. The parish boundaries include North East Valley, Pine Hill, North Dunedin, Ravensbourne and Leith Valley. The parish community is lively, inclusive, multi-generational and Anglo-Catholic. The building is the oldest church still used as a place of worship in Dunedin. All Saints' Church backs onto Selwyn College, Otago with which the parish has a long and close relationship. Selwyn College was built as an Anglican theological college in 1892, later becoming a college for students from any faculty in the university. All Saints' is the closest church to the campuses of the University of Otago and the Otago Polytechnic.

Architecture

The nave of the church was designed by William H. Clayton and built in 1865; the transepts and chancel, designed by William Mason were added in 1873. All Saints is an example of gothic revival architecture. A notable architectural feature is the polychromatic brickwork. The bricks came from the brickworks in Filleul Street, Dunedin. Also used in the building is Oamaru stone, an early use of the stone in Dunedin. In 1969, All Saints undertook a restoration project, in which the foundations, hardwood floor, and slate roof were replaced. Also at this time a nave altar was installed. A restoration project is currently underway.

The building has a Category I listing with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.[2]

Art

Notable art works in the church include a large rood hanging above the sanctuary carved by leading sculptor Frederick George Gurnsey (1868–1953) who also carved the aumbry door and the pulpit. A small Christus Rex by the eminent New Zealand sculptor Ria Bancroft (1907–1993) is above the pulpit. In 2017 a set of ceramic sculptures of the Scriptural Way of the Cross by sculptor Kirk Nicholls was installed.

Windows

The windows are a particularly fine set of Victorian and Edwardian stained glass, two depict Aotearoa New Zealand fauna and flora. The window in memory of James Hugh Allen has a significant depiction of a scene from the Gallipoli Campaign Two windows were originally in the former chapel of St Hilda's Collegiate School.

War Memorials

The church contains one Boer War memorial. There are two windows, some plaques and names on a memorial board commemorating World War I soldiers. There is also one plaque and names on a memorial board commemorating World War II soldiers.[3]

History

All Saints' parish was organised before the Diocese of Dunedin was formed in 1869; for the first few years of the parish it was part of the Diocese of Christchurch. The land was given by James Allen and the foundation stone laid on 11 February 1865 by Henry Harper 1st Bishop of Christchurch. The church was built rapidly (admittedly only the nave and baptistery) and opened on 23 July 1865.

Worship

Worship at All Saints' is in the Anglo-Catholic tradition. The teaching is progressive, orthodox and draws richly from the Christian tradition. Eucharistic liturgies are taken from the Book of Common Prayer (Sunday 8 am) and A New Zealand Prayer Book/He Karakia Mihinare o Aotearoa (all other eucharists). Incense and bells are used for High Mass. Major Feasts which fall on a weekday are celebrated on the day with a 6.30pm High Mass. Each month there is a Family Mass. The normal weekly schedule is as follows:

Music

The first organ at All Saints was built and installed in 1874. The organ has a label on the back: 'John B. West, Organ Builder, Dunedin, New Zealand’, however, it appears that this label has been pasted over the position occupied by a former label. This organ was re-located to the original wooden 1863 St Peter’s Church in Queenstown, New Zealand in 1906.[4] The current organ was built by Bevington & Sons, a London firm founded in 1794. Two of the most notable Bevington organs are in St Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin and St Martin-in-the-Fields, London. Bevington organs won medals at exhibitions in Paris (1855 and 1867) and London (1862), and are held in high regard for the quality of their construction and voicing. The firm was absorbed into Hill, Norman and Beard in 1944. All Saints' Bevington organ was built in 1877 for St Paul's Presbyterian Church, Christchurch. In 1905 the organ was transferred to All Saints. It was restored in 1969 by the South Island Organ Company. The two manuals have tracker action, and the pedals have tubular pneumatic action. In recent years a Bourdon pedal stop has been added.

All Saints' has two choirs. The choir of students from Selwyn College, Otago including Choral Scholars sings for most Sundays and feast days, also at Selwyn College Services. The parish choir sings monthly at the 10:30 am High Mass and at other occasions. The parish is affiliated to the Royal School of Church Music

Concerts are hosted regularly.

Groups

The Baby and toddler group meets each Wednesday from 9.30-11 in the Front Hall. During the Sunday 10.30 Mass children participate in the first part of the liturgy, they then go the hall for their own programme focussing on the Gospel of the day. They return to the church to receive Holy Communion with their families. Once a month there is a Family Mass with an emphasis on children's participation throughout the Mass. Each Tuesday in term time at 4.00pm the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (which uses a Montessori approach to religious education) is offered for children aged 3–12.

The congregation for our Sunday 8pm liturgy Sundaynight@allsaints is mostly students, non students are also welcome. All Saints' has a long association with the Student Christian Movement and encourages students to be part of SCM.

The All Saints' branch of the Association of Anglican Women (successor organisation to the Mothers' Union) meets on the third Tuesday of the month at 11.30am. An evening AAW group meets on the third Monday at 6.30pm.

All Saints' has an active branch of the Guild of the Servants of the Sanctuary. The guild trains altar servers. The Guild's annual festival takes place on Corpus Christi (feast).

In 2015 the parish launched All Saints' Fruit & Veges, vegetable box scheme to offer the community good quality, low price fruit and veges. In 2017 there were eight distribution centres around Dunedin, more than 1,000 people belonged to the scheme and around 240 packs were distributed each week.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Dictionary of New Zealand biography article on William Henry Clayton. Accessed July 19, 2010.
  2. ↑ "All Saints' Church (Anglican)". Register of Historic Places. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 2010-07-20.
  3. ↑ https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/all-saints-anglican-church-memorials-dunedin
  4. ↑ http://www.stpeters.co.nz/music/organ/
  5. ↑ http://fruitvege.allsaintsdn.org.nz/
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