Reverend Harper described the original room that served for services in Terrace End as “an old and uninspiring building”. The desire for a suitable consecrated place of worship led to land being purchased and St Peter’s Terrace End being built in 1902. St Peter’s became its own parish in 1924 and the current St Peter’s church was bult in 1958.
In 1908 land was purchased in Longburn and the old Methodist building from Newbury was relocated to Longburn to be St Chads of All Saints’ Parish. In 1936 a violent storm completely destroyed St Chad’s but a substitute hall made from the salvaged church was reopened six weeks later. St Chad’s held its final service as part of the All Saints’ Parish on the 9th of April 1961 at which point it became part of the newly formed Parish of St Matthew’s in Awapuni. St Chad’s was finally demolished in May 1965.
All Saints held its first church services in Kairanga in the school and then from 1907, in the community hall. These venues were also used by the Presbyterian church and both congregations contributed funds towards the purchase of an organ which was installed in the school and used by the school during the week. Anglican lay readers travelled on bicycles to lead services, some with better success than others. There is an account of an infamously longwinded lay reader’s sermon passing the half hour mark at which point a member of the congregation released from a matchbox a large blowfly with a string and cigarette paper tied to its rear. The subsequent noise bringing a premature end to the sermon.
In 1948 the Vicar of the time, the Venerable Archdeacon Monaghan, felt it was time to build a permanent church building. Mrs Betty Eagles donated a section opposite the school and there was initially discussion about making the church interdenominational. St Luke’s was dedicated on 15 December 1951 and once free of debt was consecrated by the Bishop Owen on 17 October 1954. A deconsecrating service was in July 2007 but the former church can still be seen today opposite Kairanga school as a private residence with a distinctive glass brick cross on its front wall.
A congregation was originally established in Linton in 1889. In 1901, in a response to continual church growth the church of St Columba’s in Linton was built. Services continue here today despite several set-backs over the years, including a fire in 1954 which destroyed the hall, and another fire in 1968 which extensively damaged the church.
Takaro had a church hall for Parish use since 1927. Despite extensive rebuilding of the hall it became inadequate for the needs of the growing suburb and in 1958 the foundation stone was laid for what became St Oswald’s. A new church allowed for new growth and the first curate of St Oswald’s, Harry Hicks, organised visitations to all homes in the area. In an effort to meet the needs of the local Māori community twice monthly communion services were conducted by a Māori pastor and a Māori social club used the St Oswald’s building for weekly gatherings.
St Oswald’s continues to meet the needs of the local community and at the time of writing, holds weekly Thursday morning service, Sunday morning service, and a youth group for intermediate children, as well as other Parish activities.
Throughout the past 150 years All Saints’ Parish has constantly sought to meet the social, practical and spiritual needs of those who live in and near its Parish. Much has changed within and outside the Parish boundaries during this time. Roads and forms of transports have dramatically improved, churches have been built and decommissioned, Parish boundaries have changed, and people have come and gone. The current remit of today’s Parish starts in the centre of what is now the city of Palmerston North and stretches out to embrace Takaro and Linton. Today’s Parish can rest in the knowledge that other parts of the city and its surrounds are cared for by neighbouring parishes. While many of the personal stories of those who lived within the Parish have been lost to history the fact that the centre of worship that was established in 1872 affirms that the All Saints’ Parish will continue to shape the spiritual life of Palmerston North.
Acknowledgements
The following texts have been consulted when writing this account:
A Short History of the Parochial District of All Saints, Palmerston North; edited by Reverend Geroge W Dent, J M Dent & Sons, 1928
All Saints Palmerston North 1875-1950, Simon Printing Co.
Jubilee 1914-1964 All Saints Church Palmerston North
“The First Churches” Evening Standard, Centenary Supplement, Saturday March 13 1971
R P Wigglesworth, Never Ending Still Beginning, Simon Printing Co., 1975
R.G. Mildon, Kairanga More Than One Hundred Years, Heritage Press, 1989
Betty King, A Thing of Beauty, Manawatu Standard Ltd., 1975
Celebrating 100 Years Longburn Combined Church, Wesley Print, [1989?]