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Registration Type
Historic Place Category 1
Register Number
2136
Date Registered
27-Jul-1988
Legal Description
Secs 46 & 47 Blk 31 Town of Dunedin
City/District Council
Dunedin City
Region
Otago Region
Historical Significance
The old St Pauls was the first major Anglican church in Dunedin, built in 1862 and demolished early in this century. A wooded church was built at Caversham in 1864, which was moved to Mornington and demolished about the 1960s. All Saints was the third Anglican church built in 1865 and hence is the oldest standing Anglican church in Dunedin. The land was given by Mr (later Sir) James Allen and the foundation stone laid on 11 February 1865. The church was built rapidly (admittedly only the nave and baptistery) and opened on 23 July 1865. The transepts and chancel were added in 1873, by Mason to Clayton's plan. The church has had close ties with the University, particularly through Selwyn College immediately behind it , which was built as an Anglican theological college in 1892, added to in 1928 and converted to a University Hall of Residence in 1966.
Physical Significance
ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
This is one of the few buildings in Dunedin which can be attributed to Clayton, Mason's early partner. It is the only polychromatic brick church in Dunedin.
TOWNSCAPE/LANDMARK SIGNIFICANCE:
An important element in the old buildings surrounding the North Ground, which form with its old trees a harmonious inner cityscape around a green space.
Construction Professionals
Notable Features
Its age, its polychromatic brick, its association with Clayton.
Construction Dates
- Original Construction: 1865 (circa)
- Addition: 1873 (circa)
- Modification: 1970 (circa)
- Modification: 1970 (circa)
Construction Details
The Church was founded 'nigh to a bog into which a horse disappeared' (Janet Angus). James Gore was the builder. The front north walls are triple brick of a softer orange-red than most of Dunedin's bricks, relieved by bands of cream bricks with crosses, circles and arches outlined in black and white tiles. The chancel walls are concrete or plaster over brick and the south wall of the nave is rough casted with orange-brown Moeraki gravel. The walls were built by an 'advanced' method without buttresses. The roof was covered with fish-tail slates but has been re-roofed with dark brown tiles. The interior was richly painted in part as 'a gesture towards the new fashion for decoration which men like Pugin and Butterfield had pioneered in England' (Stacpoole1976), but it is now plain white plaster enriched by handsome stained glass windows. A photo of the interior (held by the church) in 1879 shows that the arch into the sanctuary was framed by a biblical text in ornate gothic lettering and the walls were covered either with tiles or with a painted tile pattern with a small fan in the bottom left hand corner of each tile. The altar windows were smaller than the present ones with elaborate chequered arches painted around them. The present larger windows were donated by P C Neill. There are two altars in carved wood, the front one being the older and well carved in gothic style.
Other Information
This historic place was registered under the Historic Places Act 1980. This report includes the text from the original Building Classification Committee report considered by the NZHPT Board at the time of registration.
Information on
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