Holy Trinity Cathedral

About

Holy Trinity Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral situated in Parnell, a residential suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It is the 'mother church' of the Anglican Diocese of Auckland and the seat of the Bishop of Auckland. The current main church building was consecrated in 1973.

The first Anglican parish in Auckland was located in St Paul's, which was founded in 1841, within a year of the foundation of the city, and is known as the 'mother church' of the city. The first St Paul's building was in Emily Place, just off Princes Street, where a plaque still marks the site of the beginning of the Christian church in Auckland. St Paul's was the seat of the Bishop of New Zealand, the Right Reverend George Selwyn, for his entire 28-year tenure and served as Auckland's cathedral for over 40 years.

The increasing European population of Auckland put pressure on Māori land and society, straining relations, leading to the city's second Anglican church, St Barnabas, being opened in 1849 specifically for Māori. It was situated near the bottom of Parnell, on land that was later demolished and used for reclamation work. The small church building was shifted to Mount Eden, where it still forms part of the St Barnabas' Parish Church.

With the building of the original St Mary's Church in 1860, Bishop Selwyn established the Parish of St Mary. Old St Mary's stood on the site of the present cathedral, but proved to be too small, badly ventilated and uncomfortable. The establishment of New Zealand's dioceses, and Auckland's fast-growing population, meant that a larger church was required. Old St Mary's Church was demolished, and in 1886 work started on land opposite to build a new Cathedral Church of St Mary. This wooden Gothic Revival church was designed by the prominent New Zealand architect Benjamin Mountfort and completed in 1897. The building served as the cathedral church and principal Anglican church in Auckland until 1973 when the chancel of Holy Trinity Cathedral, for which the foundation stone was laid in 1957, came into use. In 1982, St Mary's Church was moved across Parnell Road to its present site beside the cathedral.

The celebrated harpsichordist, organist, and conductor Anthony Jennings was music director at the cathedral from 1974 through 1985; during which time several recordings were made of the cathedral's choir.

The first Anglican parish in Auckland was located in St Paul's, which was founded in 1841, within a year of the foundation of the city, and is known as the 'mother church' of the city. The first St Paul's building was in Emily Place, just off Princes Street, where a plaque still marks the site of the beginning of the Christian church in Auckland. St Paul's was the seat of the Bishop of New Zealand, the Right Reverend George Selwyn, for his entire 28-year tenure and served as Auckland's cathedral for over 40 years.

The increasing European population of Auckland put pressure on Māori land and society, straining relations, leading to the city's second Anglican church, St Barnabas, being opened in 1849 specifically for Māori. It was situated near the bottom of Parnell, on land that was later demolished and used for reclamation work. The small church building was shifted to Mount Eden, where it still forms part of the St Barnabas' Parish Church.

With the building of the original St Mary's Church in 1860, Bishop Selwyn established the Parish of St Mary. Old St Mary's stood on the site of the present cathedral, but proved to be too small, badly ventilated and uncomfortable. The establishment of New Zealand's dioceses, and Auckland's fast-growing population, meant that a larger church was required. Old St Mary's Church was demolished, and in 1886 work started on land opposite to build a new Cathedral Church of St Mary. This wooden Gothic Revival church was designed by the prominent New Zealand architect Benjamin Mountfort and completed in 1897. The building served as the cathedral church and principal Anglican church in Auckland until 1973 when the chancel of Holy Trinity Cathedral, for which the foundation stone was laid in 1957, came into use. In 1982, St Mary's Church was moved across Parnell Road to its present site beside the cathedral.

The celebrated harpsichordist, organist, and conductor Anthony Jennings was music director at the cathedral from 1974 through 1985; during which time several recordings were made of the cathedral's choir.

Today the Diocese of Auckland is one of seven dioceses of the Tikanga Pākehā (Pākehā culture) stream of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. The diocese covers the area stretching from North Cape south to the Waikato River, across the Hauraki Plains and including the Coromandel Peninsula.

The Anglican church in New Zealand, today known as the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, was pioneered by Bishop George Selwyn who arrived as Bishop of New Zealand in 1841.

In those early days the then colony was regarded as one huge diocese which, including large areas of the South Pacific, covered almost one sixth of the Earth's surface. Selwyn did much to establish the church and many small chapels, churches, schools and a theological college were built during this period. In 1856 Selwyn created New Zealand's first diocese, Christchurch.

Following the adoption of the Constitution of the Church of the Province of New Zealand, which was signed in St Stephen's Chapel, Judges Bay, Auckland, on 13 June 1857, other dioceses were soon established: Nelson and Waiapu in 1858, and Wellington in 1859. Following the creation of the dioceses Selwyn became ipso facto the Bishop of Auckland (though never formally styled as such), while retaining the primacy and continuing as the metropolitan. In diaries kept by his contemporary, Attorney-General William Swainson, Auckland was at that time expected to be the permanent seat of the Metropolitan of New Zealand.

In 1843 Selwyn purchased land in Parnell for the cathedral, as well as for St Stephen's Chapel, Bishopscourt, and associated buildings. He wrote in his diary on 3 June 1843 "... I reached the Judge's House [Judge Martin; First Attorney-General] by a path, avoiding the town, and passed over land which I have bought for the site of the Cathedral... ". He is reputed to have included the intended name for the cathedral in a sermon at Lichfield Cathedral in 1841 after his consecration.

Selwyn returned to England in 1868 having selected William Cowie as his successor. Cowie was the first bishop to be known as Bishop of Auckland, and it may be considered that this was the year of the formation of the Diocese of Auckland, though it is generally said to be 1841. The Diocese of Dunedin, formerly part of the Christchurch Diocese, was created in 1869.

During Bishop Cowie's 33-year tenure, the last nine as primate, the diocesan administration was set up in the traditional Anglican understanding of the term. When the dioceses were firmly established, each with its bishop, the building of New Zealand's cathedrals began.

ChristChurch Cathedral was one of the first: begun in 1864, it was finally consecrated in 1881. It had been intended to build a cathedral seating 1000 people in Auckland but by 1883 the plan was abandoned because of cost. Instead, a decision was made to replace the existing small church of St Mary's in Parnell with a larger church, and in 1884 work began. The new church was designated a cathedral in 1887 while uncompleted, and a cathedral chapter of clerical canons and lay members was formed in 1893 while the new cathedral was in use but still awaiting completion.

By 1926 the Auckland diocese was very large and becoming densely populated, so The Most Revd AW Averill, Bishop of Auckland and Archbishop of New Zealand, divided off the southern regions of Waikato, King Country and Taranaki to form the Diocese of Waikato.

Main article: St Mary's Cathedral, Auckland St Mary's Church is the former cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Auckland. It replaced the earlier Old St Mary's. This wooden Gothic Revival church was designed by the prominent Christchurch architect Benjamin Mountfort and completed in 1897. The building served as the cathedral church and principal Anglican church of Auckland until 1973 when the chancel of Holy Trinity Cathedral, for which the foundation stone was laid in 1957, came into use. In 1982, St Mary's Church was moved across Parnell Road to its present site beside the cathedral.

The nave of the new cathedral dedicated to "The Holy Trinity" was designed by Professor Richard Toy, a New Zealand architect. Building commenced in 1961 and was completed in 1965.