St Andrew's First Presbyterian Church
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox church
| name = St Andrew's First Presbyterian Church
| fullname =
| img = St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church.jpg
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| coordinates = {{ Coord|-36.85060|174.77241| region:NZ|display=inline,title}}
| denomination = Presbyterian
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| founder =
| architect = Walter Robertson
Matthew Henderson {{small|(portico and tower)}}
| style = Neoclassical
| years built = 1850
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| location = Corner of Symonds Street and Alten Road, Auckland city centre
| country = New Zealand
| website = {{url|www.standrewschurch.org.nz}}
| embedded = {{designation list|embed=yes|designation1=NZ Category I|designation2_number= 20 |designation1_date= 23 June 1983}}
}}
St Andrew's First Presbyterian Church is a Neoclassical Presbyterian church constructed in 1850 in the Auckland city centre, and is the oldest surviving church in Auckland. It is registered as a Category I heritage building by Heritage New Zealand.
History
File:St Andrews Church - Symonds St. (AM PH-ALB-2-p75-2) (cropped).jpg portico and tower, added in 1882]]
In May 1847, a committee was established to find a Presbyterian minister for the city of Auckland, and to construct a suitable church. Construction began on the building in December 1847, but due to problems with cost the construction was slow and scaled back. The main church building was completed in 1850, making St Andrew's the oldest surviving church in Auckland.{{cite web|url=https://www.heritage.org.nz/the-list/details/20 |title=St Andrew's Church (Presbyterian) |first=Martin|last=Jones |date=27 September 2001 |publisher=Heritage New Zealand |access-date=25 February 2023}}{{citeq|Q116870435|page=56-57}} The church building was constructed from locally sourced basalt and Mahurangi mudstone, from a plan by architect Walter Robertson. Scottish minister David Bruce arrived in 1853, and by 1860 the name St Andrews was adopted. Governor George Grey and his family attended the church, as well as many other influential members of Auckland society.
St Andrew's was seen as the mother church for Presbyterianism in the Auckland Province, and to express this, the church building was expanded in the 1880s, by the addition of a Greek Revival portico and tower, completed in 1882. A portico and tower were features of the original buildings plans, however the additions did not use Robertson's original designs, instead adopted a new design by Matthew Henderson. In contrast to many other Presbyterian congregations who did not use musical instruments, an organ was also erected inside the church.{{Cite web |title=Welcome to Heritage New Zealand |url=https://www.heritage.org.nz/list-details/20/St%20Andrew's%20Church%20(Presbyterian) |access-date=2025-01-21 |website=Welcome to Heritage New Zealand |language=en}}
The church suffered from falling patronage in the 1920s and 1930s due to the growth and suburbanisation of Auckland, to the point where the church faced closure in the 1930s. In 1957, the church was refurbished.
In the mid-1980s, a service began for the Indonesian community in Auckland.{{cite web|url=https://standrewschurch.org.nz/history|title=A History Carved In Stone |publisher=St Andrew's First Presbyterian Church |access-date=25 February 2023}} Refurbishment work on the church began in April 2001, which included the removal of the louvres with stained glass.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category-inline|St Andrew's Church, Auckland}}
{{Learning Quarter}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Andrew's First Presbyterian Church}}
Category:1850 establishments in New Zealand
Category:1850s churches in New Zealand
Category:Buildings and structures in Auckland
Category:Churches completed in 1850
Category:Greek Revival church buildings
Category:Heritage New Zealand Category 1 historic places in the Auckland Region
Category:Listed churches in New Zealand
Category:Neoclassical church buildings in New Zealand