Civic Trust
  • Home
  • About Us
    • What we do
    • Meet the Team
    • Save the Date
    • Newsletters
  • Featured Articles
  • Heritage & History
    • Heritage NZ Listed Category 1
    • Awards & Grants
  • Get involved
    • Become a member
    • Make a donation chasing coin
  • Street Art
  • Blue Plaques
  • Contact
    • Links
    • Facebook Page
Featured Articles

St Joseph's Catholic Church, Temuka

4/10/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Missing from the photo of this church is the spire.  It used to rise above the 60 foot entrance tower and was surrounded by four corner pinnacles, the bases of which are still in place. The completed tower, with spire atop, was once a dominating feature of the Temuka township skyline, reputedly visible from a distance of thirty-two miles away.  After the earthquakes in 2011 the spire was deemed unsafe and eventually removed in 2016, I understand it may be replaced at some stage in the future by a fiberglass copy.
The 2 acre site it sits on originally held a small wooden church built to serve the young parish which was formed in 1876.  By 1879 the congregation had outgrown this building and plans were begun to replace it.  
The newly appointed parish priest, Father Louis Fauvel,  a Frenchman from Normandie, had a huge influence on the design of the new church.  His specifications were based on his parish church in Constances, France, where he had attended seminary.
This very substantial building was built using Opihi limestone from the Upper Waitohi district which was donated by Henry Collett and conveyed to the site, some 11 miles distance, by the parishioners.  The spire itself was of Oamaru stone.  The architect of the church was Henry Evans, of Timaru.  Stone work contractors were from Christchurch and the wood work and painting done by Timaru contractors.  Work began in 1879 and the new church was completed in 1882.
With a peel of bells cast in New York, a four faced clock from London and an impressive collection of 31 stunning stained glass lancet windows, designed and produced in France it was considered one of the most noteworthy churches in Canterbury.  
St Joseph’s is registered as Category 2 with Heritage New Zealand and it was a wonderful find while driving off the main street in Temuka.  Well worth a visit.

Karen Rolleston

 
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Back to Articles

    View by date

    Archives

    February 2021
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015

    Categories

    All
    Featured Articles

Picture
CONTACT US
PO Box 125 Timaru 7940

Email [email protected]
Picture
Picture

© Timaru Civic Trust | Website by Corporate Print
Imagery supplied by Brian High Productions ©
  • Home
  • About Us
    • What we do
    • Meet the Team
    • Save the Date
    • Newsletters
  • Featured Articles
  • Heritage & History
    • Heritage NZ Listed Category 1
    • Awards & Grants
  • Get involved
    • Become a member
    • Make a donation chasing coin
  • Street Art
  • Blue Plaques
  • Contact
    • Links
    • Facebook Page