History of St Johns Presbyterian
Arrowtown, New Zealand
The stone church was built in 1873, designed by F.W. Burwell and built with the assistance of Chinese labourers, as the gold rush was over. The thick walls were built straight on top of the ground, and it wasn’t until 1995 that a concrete foundation 1 metre deep, was poured under the outside half of each of the external walls. This was done to stabilize the building and to prevent the roots of the two Sequoiadendron Giganteum (Wellingtonia) trees that frame the entrance, from eventually destroying the church. This appears to have been successful. The trees were planted circa 1880. The wooden vestry and bedroom (now office) were added in 1880. A bedroom, (unique in NZ we believe) because the minister would sleep overnight on Saturday, after riding his horse from Queenstown to Arrowtown, before taking the service on Sunday and then riding home again. It was also used, in the early days, as living quarters for student ministers assisting in the parish over summer.
In 1959 the originally Millers Flat (Malaghan Rd below Coronet Peak) Church (built 1869) was joined as a hall to the north side of the vestry, it had also been relocated in 1951 to be the Speargrass Flat Church. In 2010 it was moved again and restored to sit alongside and become part of the Miner’s Cottages Trust Precinct, situated between Buckingham St and Roman’s Lane.
This move was necessary to make room for a modern new hall and ancillary facilities, to be built to the rear of the original church. This was completed in early 2011.
As it is sited in the Arrowtown Historic Zone and attached to an historic listed building, the new hall had to comply with strict historic guidelines on the outside, but is very modern on the inside, with air to water heat-pumps heating the under-floor heating, extra insulation, double glazing and three 50” TV screens and audio equipment, as well as a large kitchen and toilet facilities. An audio-visual link is available from the church to the hall for large services and gatherings.
The new building consists of a large hall with two lounges which can be used separately or all opened up to make one large open space, seating over 200 people. The larger east lounge opens out onto a sunny, sheltered courtyard, garden and lawn area.
Once the hall was completed, work commenced on restoring the interior of the church and vestry. The pews and dado paneling were returned to almost their original stained condition. The vestry, which had been modernised in the 1950’s and lined with pinex, was stripped back to the original T&G wooden panels and one of the original fireplaces uncovered.
The church is open most days for viewing.
