A Community Event All Welcome! The Geraldine Parish has many special features, one of which is ties with the Acland family, originally from Devon in England. Johnny Acland is fifth generation at Mount Peel Station, near Peel Forest, and along with his wife, Rose, is the third generation of the family to host a Lily Day on their grounds. This is a great blessing to the parish and this year, COVID notwithstanding, you are all invited!
“Do not worry about everyday life—if you have enough food, drink or clothes… Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow… yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are… Instead, seek God, and He will give you everything you need.” Based on Matthew 6:25-34 (NLT)
Our Story
People come from far and wide (but maybe not so ‘wide’ this year) every second year to Mt Peel Station to witness the fantastic giant lilies in full bloom. Under the mature trees that surround the homestead, grow masses of lily plants, which have huge heart-shaped leaves, flower spikes up to 3-metres tall, large creamy-white flowers with reddish-purple throats, and an enticing scent. These gargantuan lilies are a truly wonderful sight.
Joy Sagar, Jane Gibson, Belinda McKenzie and Tony Kippax at the last Lily Day.
The Church and its Community
The Giant Lily (Cardiocrinum giganteum) at Mt Peel Station stands up to 3m tall. Credit: supplied
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Our Story |
Words —
Joy Sagar
When John Barton Acland first settled at Mt Peel in 1855, he dreamed of creating a community settlement, an integral part of which was a church. In 1866 land was designated for a church and John Barton Acland or JBA, settled in Peel Forrest burial ground and gifted to the in 1855. Credit: Harriet diocese. The foundation stone Acland/Wikipedia for The Church of the Holy Innocents, named for four infant children buried nearby, was laid in 1868 and the church was consecrated by Bishop Harper in December 1869. It was built using greywacke boulders from the Rangitata riverbed, limestone from Mt Somers, and wood from local mātai and tōtara trees. William Brassington, an experienced stonemason, supervised the build. All the boulders were shaped by hand—a challenging and physical job as greywacke doesn’t split easily. It was significantly damaged in the 2010-11 Canterbury earthquakes but was faithfully restored in 2018 and won a Heritage Award for the work.
