St Mary's Anglican Church Timaru
THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE
To the Glory of God and in proud and grateful memory of those from this parish who gave their lives in the Great War 1914-1918
Armstrong, W. Barton, R.H. Bassett, S.E. Bean, R.E. Blackham, J. Bright, W.F. Christmas, P.J. Cole, R.C. Collins, H. Cray, D. Davey, O.E. Depree, J. Dewhurst, E. Dunsford, N. Elliot, B. Fairbrother, R. Ferguson, D. Ferguson, R.R	Forsyth, N.L. Fraser, D.P. Fraser, G.E. Gabites, E. Gibson, S. Greenwood, E. Guinness, B. Guinness, G. Hawkes, N Hawkes, S. Hawkes, V. Hawkey, L. Hedges, A.E. Hind, W.E.R. Hight, C. Hight, L. Knubley, M.A. Langrish, G.	Langrish, T. Lee, W.A. Lewis, H.J. Marchant, N. Mathias, O. Milburn, J.T. Monson, H. Nesbitt, R.J. Nutsford, H. O'Callaghan, L. Palliser, W. Porter, R.J. Potts, W.R. Preen, E.G. Presit, R.S. Raine, J. Richards, E.S. Robinson, C.G.	Robinson, S. Rodgers, V.A.F. Scoullar, J.L. Smith, H. Stansell, L. Styles, W.J.M. Thomas, A. Thomas, C.E. Turner, W.M. Wall, W.A. Watkins, R.E. Watson, L.J. Watson, W. Wheeler. C. Wilkes. O. Wilson, C. Wright, C.H. Ziesler, C.
Beneath memorial, which is located to the right as you enter,  is the Book of Remembrance, names and date of death are written. A page of the book is turned over every day.   Note title page lettering.
To the Glory of God and in proud and grateful memory of those from this parish who gave their lives in the World War 1939 -1945
Anderson, A.H. Appleby, B. Baker, A.O. Baker, R.J. Baker, R. Ballantyne, C.T. Bannerman, D.R. Batchelor, C. Burns, W.S. Campbell, F.E.P. Clark, G.W. Cook, F.J. Cox, R.C. Hooke, F.W. Howell, R.H. Humphrey, C.I. Johnston, T.L. Lower, R.W. Monaghan, D.W. Monaghan, G.C. Newman, P. O'Rouke, R.F.			Paiki, T.J. Parry, C.E. Paterson, D.B.G. Pawson, H.W. Payne, W.J. Pearce, H.G. Ritchie, D.G.A. Scott, G.V.D. Shears, F.G. Sotham, W.F. Sotham, R.J. Taylor, H.T. Thomson, F.S.R. Thomson, J.W. Verdon, L.A. Verdon, W.L. Waters, E.A. Webb, C.C.G. Willcox, A.D. Winterbourn, J. Wood, D.E.
"The memory of the Just is bleed"
Located in the Chapel of St Michael and all Angels with a memorial window "St George, the Archangel Michael, St Nicholas of Myra, Gideon, Joshua and King David", commemorating those who died in World War One and Two.  Insignia of the NZ Army, RNZAF and RNZN are depicted in the bottom pane. A James Powell & Sons window. One of the donors was the citizens of Worthing, Sussex, in gratitude for food parcels sent by Timaru people during WWII.

In Memory of Lieutenant F.B.H. Guinness 8th S.C. Mounted Rifles who gave his life for his country at the Dardanelles age 24 years Aug 25 1915

In memory of Gerald Cawte Monaghan and David Wyatt Monaghan choristers of this church who in their youth gave their lives for their county and their fellow man. Sidi Rezagh No 271841 Casert Jan 27 1944

In memory: Lt Col. Cernest Thomas N.Z.M.C. killed in action at Dardanelles 28th August 1915 also of Capt. A.E.T. Rhodes. M.C. Died Oct 14th 1922 age 30 years.

Philip Bouverie Luxmoore 30 July 1882

The Rev. George Foster St Mary's 1859 - 1865 Lived at Highfield.

Edward Elworthy of Pareora, Canterbury N.Z. Jan 22nd 1899

Venerable Henry W. Harper M.A. Archdeacon and Vicar during the past 36 years 1875-1911

In memory of William Priest 1923. Church Warden of this church. 1920-1922.

John Rainsley-Jones Verger of St Mary's Church

William Denis Revell Church Warden of St Mary's 1921-1931

In thankfulness to God and in memory of Thomas Teschemaker of Otaio 1840-1919. An early pioneer in this district and Rosand Mary his wife. This reredos was given by their three daughters.

In memory of Richard Turnbull b. Jan 17 1826 at Oxford, England. Represented the Electoral District of Timaru in the House of Representatives from July 1878 to July 1890. Died Wellington

Capt. Belfield Woollcombe R.N.
Herbert Belfield
Church Wardens of St Mary's Church A.D. 1861

Vicars of the Parish of St Mary

1861-1875    The Rev. George Foster
1875-1911    The Ven. H.W. Harper
1912-1921    The Ven. J.A. Jacob
1921-1927    The Ven. J.A. Julius
1928-1944    The Ven. H.W. Monaghan
1945-1953    The Ven. W.W. A. Averill
1953-1963    The Ven. R.P.F. Plaistowe
1968-1971    The Ven S.E. Woods
1971-1975    The Ven. P.W. Mann
1975-1979    The Rev. R.L.L. Oppenheim
1980-1982    The Rev. P.A. Shields
1982-1984    The Rev. G.W. Mountfort
1985              The Venerable R.H.S. Smith
1998 - Sept. 2008  Archdeacon Vicar - Philip Robinson 16th vicar of St. Mary's
March 2009 - Venerable Andrew Starky  from Temuka
1st Dec. 2009 -           Vicar Indrea Alexander 

I understand St Mary's has a role as a place for civic events, a place that marks the life of the city," Mrs Alexander said in July 2009.

Everyone comes, and everyone goes.  St Mary's is a church in the city, it doesn't have a residential area. The doors of the church remain open to all, and while not all churches continue to do that, Archdeacon Robinson thinks it's important. I think it's worth the risk. Mostly I have seen thieves break in and steal in the churches I have been at, not when the doors are open. 4 Sept. 2008 Timaru Herald

Note the Benvenue Monument on the intersection Sophia St. and Church St (running north-south)

Before the bell tower was built.

South Canterbury, New ZealandGenWeb Project

Timaru Herald, 20 August 1880, Page 3
OLD ST. MARY'S AND TWENTY TEARS AGO.

Before the last piece of timber is removed from the old church, it may not be uninteresting to many of our readers to trace briefly back the years to the time when St. Mary's stood alone, and was marked as the sole church of any denomination in South Canterbury. This of itself is worth noting, for, as a rule, Church of England members are behindhand in erecting places of worship compared to other denominations, it being found in most districts of the colony that the Wesleyans are generally first in the field in the erection of a chapel or church. We are not old enough for ruins yet, and the memories conjured up by their histories do not belong to the colonist; yet when we look back for the short space of even twenty years we shall see enough of change between that brief past and this present to justify a retrospect, � these few years in a colony being equal in point of progressive improvement to thrice their term in older lands. It may not be out of place to call to mind the resources of Timaru, and the general material, social, and political aspect of the district generally when the building of a church in the town was first mooted. From such a sketch the more modern settler will be able to appreciate the difficulties that stood in the way of the early colonist to inaugurate social and material improvement of any kind ; difficulties which can hardly be understood in the present day as belonging to a community separated only from him by period of one-and-twenty years, for it was then (in the year 1859) that the building of a church in Timaru began to be discussed by the settlers. Existing circumstances at the time, however, did not hold out much hope that the idea would soon take practical shape, for not only were all materials resources hard to command, but the social condition of the town and district was in such a to warrant sanguine hope that the building of a church could be undertaken with any prospect success for many years. Yet, the old adage " where there is a will there's way" was here again proved, and a honor to those men who then proved in the first place the money difficulty was the greatest, and in this the sparseness the population of town and country present an all sufficient reason for despairing of collecting enough funds for the building of a church. In the December previous the population of the town within the present Borough boundaries was exactly sixteen souls, and the wide stretching district between the Rangitata and Waitangi rivers mustered only 2_ human beings. " Timaru" in those days consisted of " Cain's" store and dwelling house, a small portion of the present Royal Hotel; Sam Williams' public-house on the beach; a tumble down woolshed also on the beach; and a still more tumble down shed on the top of the hill not far from where Anderson's grocery store now stands. Altogether this was by no means encouraging field from which to raise thousand pounds.  Then again, thorogh bearing in a less degree on the trouble to be encountered and overcome in the task the promoters had set for themselves, was the position of South Canterbury with the outside world. Communication in those days was, even wilt Christchurch � then a tiny place� most uncertain, not to say dangerous in time of nor'-westers and flooded river " Baines" pack horse � soon afterwards be replaced by an outrigger White chapel � had then the honor of carrying Her Majesty's mails, which duty was performed with passing regularity one a fortnight. Roads of course there were none ; sheep tracks, and the most devious, being the only resemblance of a pathway between stations and shepherds' huts far remote from one another. The river Rakaia was then regarded as the Ultima Thule of civilization, and few ventured across to the unknown of Timaru and the South. Prior to 1859 when the Rev. Mr Foster first came into the district the visits of clergymen were very few and far between, and religious ministration entirely absent. No one then was christened, no one married, and we have no recollection of anyone being buried. The first clergyman who visited South Canterbury was the late Bishop of Lichfield, Bishop Selwyn, who in the year 1846 started from Akaroa, and accompanied by some Maoris travelled on foot as far south as Otakou, now Dunedin, then little more than a whaling village. Over a decade went by ere another clergyman entered these wilds in the person of our present Primate, who, in April, 1857, accompanied by the present Incumbent of Timaru, passed through the district on his first pastoral visit en route to the extremities of his large diocese, which extended from the Waiau to the north to Jacob's River (where Riverton now stands) to the south. That the Bishop was the only clergyman who then ever visited the district is confirmed by a question we well recollect being asked by an outlying settler of " when was the Bishop coming again ?" and as these visits were of necessity but annual occurrences, they were the more valued and looked forward to. Two stories of these days illustrate forcibly the primitiveness of the people, and the odd, queer notions entertained of what was thought to be the standard of politeness. Not a hundred miles from Timaru the Bishop, on his first journey in 1857, had occasion to stop for midday refreshment, and pulling up at a house, was of course hospitably received and luncheon prepared. The Bishop entered, leaving his companion in charge of the horses. This gentleman, whilst the cloth was evidently being laid, heard the host ask his wife why she had only laid places for three (the man, his wife, and the Bishop). ," Oh ! " replied the fair one, "he is only the Bishop's man; he can wait." The "Bishop's man " being no less a personage than our Ven. Archdeacon. And again, when travelling one day in Otago, the Bishop had occasion to enter a cottage, leaving his son outside. Soon after the Bishop had closed the door, a man's face emerged round one end of the building, but quickly disappeared. Again the face was seen, and this time the owner of it came forward, bearing in one hand a bottle of whiskey, in the other a tin pannikin. Hastily approaching Mr Harper, he hoarsely whispered "Now the guvnor's inside, 'ave some whisky." Such quaint odd stories of the early days tell of the existence of a society hardly to be met with now, and perhaps the occasion for them is not to be regretted ; still, they mark an epoch in our history, and as such deserve to be recorded. In treating of these old times, we have, we fear, wandered from our subject, but have succeeded, we hope, in giving a fair reflex of the times, and shown the difficulties which stood in the way of reformers of the period. ' Old St. Mary's may be said to have had a beginning in 1859, when three gentlemen (still amongst us) met together and talked over the possibilities of building a church in Timaru. These gentlemen were Mr Woollcombe, Mr H. Cain, and Mr Belfield. To clear the way, it was necessary to secure a bit of land, the attainment of which was made easy through the liberality of the late Mr George Rhodes, of the Levels ; that gentleman giving the land, and a sum of money besides as a donation towards the hoped for building. By dint of personal exertion of the above-named gentlemen, and through the solicitations of friends in England, enough money was at last raised to justify building, and in the following year (Mr Woollcombe performing the duties of architect,) a contract was taken by Mr Ralph Simpson, sen. The church was of humble pretensions, 40ft x 25ft. The timber for it came from Waimate or from the Arowhenua bush, which in those days fringed the north bank of the Opihi River, close bordering the Main North Road ; and right good timber it has proved to be, for after twenty years of existence plates and boards are as sound as when first cut. Early in 1861 the building was finished at a cost of L1007, and on the 28th of April of the same year, the church was consecrated by the Bishop. The petition for the cousecration contained the following names � viz., George Foster, Curate ; Belfield Woollcombe and Henry John LeCren, Churchwardens ; Thomas Ottery Rayner, William Hornbrook, John Beswick, Henry Cain, James King, Herbert Belfield, Edward Butler, and Thomas W. Hall, Vestrymen. During the time the church was in course of erection, the Rev. Mr Foster held service on a few occasions in a building erected where Cole's Bank Hotel now stands, and afterwards in the old disused woolshed on the top of the hill, then fitted up as a schoolhouse. In 1868 the church was enlarged by an addition in stone. But again a few years later, the accommodation afforded was insufficient, and a movement was set on foot first to build a church school to afford church room pending the erection of an entirely new edifice on the old site. The first part of the programme has been carried out, and the second has been initiated by pulling down " old St. Mary's."

Timaru Courier August 5th 2010 Church�s 150th includes candlelight tours of tower
By Rachael Comer
Starlight, star bright, let�s climb St Mary�s tower tonight � to see the lights. As part of 150th celebrations at the church, Sunset and Starlight tours will be held at the St Mary�s Church bell tower tomorrow night from 6pm to 10pm. People will be able to climb to the top of the 114-step tower to the 33m-high balcony to see views of Timaru. ��The community of Timaru has been so generous towards the church�s restoration,�� organiser said. ��We usually charge $2 a person to go to the top of the tower, but on Friday the tour will be free, as a thank-you to the community.�� The tower had been closed for the past year during the church�s restoration, she said. ��The tower will be lit up by candlelight and there will be people guiding visitors to the top.�� Somebody with a background in astronomy would be at the top to point out features in the night sky. The church�s 150th celebrations begin tomorrow and run until August 15. Included in the birthday events will be a special concert, church tours, a Thanksgiving holy communion, a wedding dress exhibition, a book launch and a celebration dinner.

Button, John Love and faithfulness : stories of St. Mary's Timaru 1860 - 2010 / John Button

Gibb, Dorothy A First Look at St. Mary's  . pre 2000.

Archdeacon R.P.F Plaistowe, edited by St. Mary's Timaru 1861-1961  extracts from St Mary's. P. W. Hutton and Co. 1918 (W.H. Foden)  being a short account of its history, with a full description of the building and of the various memorials contained therein / by Henry W.  Harper (Henry William) ( 1833-1922). Timaru, N.Z. : St. Mary's, 1961.  Book [34] p. : ill. ; 22 cm.

Harper,  Henry W.  St. Mary's Church, Timaru, New Zealand : being a short account of its history, with a full description of the building and of the various memorials contained therein / by Henry W. Harper.
Publisher: Timaru [N.Z.] : P.W. Hutton, 1918. (Timaru : W.H. Foden)  Book  28 p., [7] p. of plates : ill., port. ; 22 cm.

Monaghan, H.W. (Harold Wyatt)  (Vicar of St. Mary's and Archdeacon of Timaru) A Joy For Ever: St Mary's Parish Church, Timaru. Wellington: Harry H. Tombs Ltd, printers, 1945 : Wellington.  76 pages, green cloth, limited to 600 copies. Some early church photos. Hardback with dust jacket. Many colour illustrations, wash drawings, line drawings and B&W photographs. Photo of War Memorial with clearly readable names. In this book the author claims that the church of St. Mary's is the most complete and finished piece of gothic architecture in New Zealand and he attempts to make known to a wider public an achievement in building which deserves recognition. History of church building styles and of the church windows, parish buildings, furnishings names of donors., etc. Lists of names:
Book of Remembrance Dec 31, 1944 to end Dec 1945 (incl birth years)
Memorial Windows
Memorial Brasses
The Clergy and workers
Churchwardens
And other lists.

WARD,  H.V. Diocesan Lay Reader, Onward St. Mary's