From Quiet Homes and First Beginnings 1879-1979 Page 1 From Quiet Homes and First Beginnings 1879-1979 "FROM QUIET HOMES AND FIRST BEGINNING"* 1879-1979 A History of the Presbyterian and Methodist Churches in Upper Hutt who, in 1976, joined together to form the Upper Hutt Co-operating Parish. By M. E. EVANS Published by THE UPPER HUTT CO-OPERATING PARISH Benzie Avenue, Upper Hutt, New Zealand 1979 *Title quotation from "Dedicatory Ode" by Hilaire Belloc. Digitized by Alec Utting 2015 Page 2 From Quiet Homes and First Beginnings 1879-1979 CONTENTS Acknowledgements Introduction ... THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 1879-1976 St David's In the beginning, 1897-1904 .... Church Extension, Mission Charge and Home Mission Station, 1904-23 Fully Sanctioned Charge. James Holmes and Wi Tako—1924-27 The Fruitful Years—1928-38 .... Division of the Parish—1938-53 Second Division—The Movement North —1952-59 .... "In My End is My Beginning"—1960-76 Iona St Andrew's THE METHODIST CHURCH, 1883-1976 Whitemans Valley—1883-1927 .... Part of Hutt Circuit—1927-55 .... Independent Circuit: The Years of Expansion—1955-68 Wesley Centre and the Rev. J. S. Olds .... Circuit Stewards of the Upper Hutt Methodist Church—1927-76 OTHER FACETS OF PARISH LIFE Women's Groups Youth Work .... THE CO-OPERATING PARISH, 1976-79 To the Present And Towards the Future SOURCE OF INFORMATION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS PHOTOS AROUND THE PARISH IN 1979 OUTREACH TO THE FUTURE BROWN OWL CENTRE Page 3 From Quiet Homes and First Beginnings 1879-1979 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It is my pleasure to thank Mrs M. E. Evans, on behalf of the parish, for writing this history. It is a work well done, and I am sure it will be appreciated by many readers. Time was against her and records have not always been carefully kept and this made it all the harder to achieve a balanced account. Be that as it may, Mrs Evans has brought "minutes" and "resolutions" to life, so much so that readers will discern something of the faithful witness of many people who lived and worked for their Lord in the past. Thanks also to those who made photographs available and those who contributed in other ways to the interest of this book. I. A. MILNER Thy hand O God has guided they flock from age to age; The wondrous tale is written, full clear, on every page; Our fathers owned thy goodness, and we their deeds record; And both of this bear witness, one Church, one faith, one Lord. My people will abide in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings and in quiet resting places. Isaiah 32, 18 Today’s ministers with their support team. From left: Mr Noel McCarthy, Rev. Ian Milner, Mrs Esme Baxter, Mrs Gwen Johnston, Rev.Dr. Colin Sherriff, Rev. Graeme McIvor Page 4 From Quiet Homes and First Beginnings 1879-1979 INTRODUCTION The Co-operating Parish The Upper Hutt Co-operating Parish includes the three Presbyterian parishes of Iona, St David's and St Andrew's together with the Upper Hutt Methodist Circuit. It extends to the top of the Rimutaka Range down through Kaitoke, Akatarawa, Te Mania, the Mangaroa and Wallaceville Valleys and the Upper Hutt Valley to the northern boundary of St Margaret's Presbyterian Parish of Silverstream. So far as its Methodist members are concerned, the Co-operating Parish includes Silverstream, Pinehaven and Whitemans Valley. In June 1979 the parish had 1,000 homes under pastoral care, 561 communicant members, three main worship and Christian education centres, 260 Sunday School pupils with 30 teachers, 94 Bible Class members with 12 leaders, 200 members of the Girls' and Boys' Brigades with 27 leaders, as well as a Friday evening club attended by some 150 young people for most of whom this is their only connection with the church. There are five groups that cater specifically for the women of the parish and a variety of study groups for adults are held from time to time. The parish has a team of four ministers and works through a Parish Council with its Executive, Pastoral, Christian Education, Life and Work and Property and Finance Committees. At each of the three main centres there is a Domestic Affairs Committee. All this from quiet homes and first beginning. Supporting Committee of the 17th Hutt Valley Company, Girls' Brigade, taken at the Silver Jubilee of the Company, May 1977. Included in this photo are Tom Wright, (4th from left, front row) and Hazel Wright, (3rd from left, second row) both of whom have been on this committee since its inception and in the front row (far right) is their daughter, Mrs Ann Thomas. Mrs Ann Thomas led the Company for 19 years and, among other positions in the movement, has held the positions of District Commissioner and National Commissioner. Page 5 From Quiet Homes and First Beginnings 1879-1979 THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN UPPER HUTT 1879-1976 ST DAVID'S In the Beginning—1879-1904 The first minister of the Hutt Valley Presbyterian Church, the Rev. William Dron, a member of the Free Church of Scotland, arrived in New Zealand on 1 December 1852 to become minister of a separate Hutt congregation. A church was built in High Street, Lower Hutt, in 1858 and the following year, at a meeting of the Kirk Session, it was resolved that the parish should be divided into Upper and Lower districts. The Upper district extended from Mangaroa in the north and Mr Andrew Yule, storekeeper, was appointed elder "from Mangaroa to the second river bridge".1 Settlement in the Upper valley was slow but by 1878 there were enough Presbyterians living in the Upper district to warrant the building of a church in Upper Hutt. On 25 September 1878 a "working committee" met "in connection with the erection of a Presbyterian Church at the Upper Hutt".2 Mr Robert Burns was elected chairman and members of the committee were Messrs Brown (Snr and Jnr), Sinclair and James Grant. Collectors were appointed for various districts and Mr Grant was made treasurer. Trustees appointed "to hold the ground and building" were Messrs Brown (Jnr), Burns and Sinclair.3 The building site, section 117 of the Upper Hutt District, was on the main road and was donated by Mr George Brown. It was in the middle of farm land. A church, St David's, was designed by Thomas Turnbull, whose two best known churches are St John's and St Peter's, Willis Street, Wellington. St Peter's is also celebrating its centennial this year. Turnbull designed St David's free of charge. It was described at the time as a "handsome, plain, gothic structure".4 It was a plain little church with none of the elegant features of its Wellington brothers, but the Upper Hutt Presbyterians were not able to afford a more elaborate church. A building committee was set up which decided to accept Turnbull's plan and advertise for tenders in the "Evening Post". Mr McIntosh. A Lower Hutt builder, was consulted about building materials and it was decided to order timber from Messrs Cruickshanks and Gorrie Bros. "in proportion to their respective subscriptions".5 The successful tenderers, Primrose and Scully,6 built the church for £350, but this price did not include linings. 1 Knox Presbyterian Centennial Booklet, page 5. 2 Minute Book of St David's Board of Managers, 1878-1907. 3 Minute Book of St David's Board of Managers. 4 "N.Z. Mail" (newspaper) 30 November 1878. 5 Minute Book of St David's Board of Managers, 1878-1907. 6 Minute Book of St David's Board of Managers, '1878-1907 Page 6 From Quiet Homes and First Beginnings 1879-1979 In February 1879, the Rev. James Paterson of St John's preached the sermon at the first service to "a large audience".7 James Grant, a divinity student who had worked enthusiastically for the erection of St David's, left in 1881 to take up an appointment with the Church of Otago8 and later became head-master of College Street School in Palmerston North.9 Although the church was free of debt by 1881, it remained unlined for another two years. In July 1883 the Management Committee decided that "when the good weather should set in a hearty effort should be made to the lining of the Church"10 and Messrs Brown and Roger were nominated to canvas the district "to solicit subscriptions". The first timber ordered had to be returned because it was unsatisfactory. When the work was finally finished, the outside of the church was painted "stone colour" and the inside "French White".11 In 1884, Miss Annie Symonds, the fourteen-year-old organist, was presented with "two handsome volumes", one being "Presbyterian Psalms and Hymn Book" in appreciation of her services as harmonium player. Miss Symonds in reply said "that the work she had done was a pleasure and a delight".12 She remained organist for another five years, when she married Alfred Scholes. One son, Frank, had a long association with St David's and the Wallaceville Church, and another, Ralph, was the builder who erected the first St David's manse in 1913 and carried out the renovations to the church in 1933. The Upper Hutt Church often had divinity students looking after its members. One of the most popular was Andrew Gray. In 1892 the Management Committee asked Session to "permit Mr Gray, a student of Divinity, to remain in charge of the District until he is ordained."13 He remained until 1899 and under his chairmanship, the committee negotiated the purchase of two acres of land on the south side of the Wallaceville Hill for £10, to be used as a cemetery.14 The Presbyterians who lived on the other side of the Wallaceville hill felt they would like a church of their own and in 1893 plans were laid before Presbytery and approved.