St Matthew's, Auckland

St Matthew's, or St Matthew-in-the-City, is a historic Anglican church located in the Central Business District of Auckland, renowned for its neo-Gothic style since its completion in 1905.

As the city expanded, residential and commercial buildings sprung up to the west of Queen Street. To serve the Anglicans amongst the growing population, George Selwyn, New Zealand's first Anglican bishop, acquired land from the Crown in 1843 at the corner of Hobson and Wellesley Street. On it a one-room school was built from which Selwyn first conducted services.

In 1855 Selwyn appointed the designer of Old St. Paul's, Wellington, the Reverend Frederick Thatcher as vicar of the new parish of St Matthew's. On 13 July, 30 people met in the school room to constitute the new parish.

Eastern Auckland remained the establishment part of the city. Meanwhile, St Matthew's in the west became the church of merchants and shopkeepers. Its finances reflected their support and acumen. From a shaky start - the Rev'd Thatcher's annual stipend was supplemented by 88 pounds from his military and prison chaplaincies - the parish became self-supporting within 10 years. By 1868 its income was 1000 pounds a year, then the largest in the diocese.

As Auckland grew to the west, so new parishes were established and St Matthew's built a mission chapel, St Thomas', in Freemans Bay in 1876.

In 1896 the parish decided it was time to build the stone church. John Loughborough Pearson, designer of both Truro Cathedral in Cornwall and St John's Cathedral in Brisbane, Australia was engaged, but before he could complete the plans he died in December 1897. His son, Frank Loughborough Pearson, completed his work and the cornerstone was laid 23 April 1902 by Governor Lord Ranfurly.

...
Wikipedia