Titirangi Soldiers’ Memorial Church nears 100 years

Titirangi Soldiers’ Memorial Church nears 100 years

Titirangi Soldiers’ Memorial Church in Park Road is one of our area’s significant buildings. It was granted heritage status by Waitākere City Council in 1996, writes FIONA DRUMMOND.

The church is one of only two churches in New Zealand that were planned to be memorials to soldiers lost in World War I. It may have been inspired by the South Titirangi war memorial that Henry Atkinson erected in 1917 to acknowledge all locals who served during the war.

Back at this time, Park Road was the primary access to Titirangi, a pleasant fern-lined bush drive with extensive views to the Manukau. Imagine being greeted by this pretty church with its rustic fence, and a cuppa at Park Road Kiosk, now Tobys, on the fringe of the beautiful Atkinson Park.

It was Mrs Emily Bishop who is credited with the suggestion that the church be an “undenominational” soldiers’ memorial church, recognising that the fallen soldiers from Titirangi (including her own two sons) were not all from one denomination. A trust board with equal numbers of Anglicans and Presbyterians was formed in 1922.

The zealous ladies from the church committee met to brainstorm ways to gather funds for the church and three garden fêtes raised £450 towards the project. One of the later garden fêtes exhibited sample pews to solicit donations from the community. Other funding was raised through concerts, bush and beach carnivals and garden parties.

Nelson Hawkins gifted two subdivision sections (from his new Ferndell Estate, fronting both Park and South Titirangi Roads) to be the land for the church.

Further generosity came from architect Herbert Clinton Savage who wrote to the committee in 1922 offering his services to design the church which was to seat 100 people, an offer which was accepted. (He was also the architect behind the now demolished brick St Andrews Presbyterian Church in Margan Avenue, New Lynn.) Fifty years later, at the 1974 anniversary of the church, a Mr Souster was named as architect, a discrepancy that remains a mystery to this day,

Local builder Harry Jenkin did the timber framing and interior finishing of the church while the stone mason was Mr Kershaw. He compacted scoria concrete into steel moulds to create the concrete blocks at the Kershaw Bros yard in Mayville Street in New Lynn. He also cast custom curved blocks for the windows. He then laid the blocks which form the structure of the church. (The use of hollow concrete blocks had begun around 1904 in New Zealand and, although their use had become less popular by the end of World War I, they were used for bungalows in Auckland at this time.)

Governor-General Lord Jellicoe opened the church on Sunday, May 18 1924, to a large audience of dignitaries, returned servicemen, visitors from the city and the local community with the musical accompaniment of the Temperance Guards’ Band. The first interdenominational service took place that same evening. The cost of the church construction by opening day was around £850 but with £730 already in hand, thanks to years of galas and fundraising, the church was debt-free by December 1929. On April 18, 1926, Governor-General Sir Charles Fergusson unveiled a black granite tablet bearing the names of 13 local men who had lost their lives in the First World War and a further tablet was added a year later, courtesy of the Kershaw Bros, to recognise those who died at home as a result of war service. 1927 also saw the laying of a concrete block path and the construction of rustic style fencing. Native trees and ferns were planted to enhance the grounds in 1931. The original Marseilles tiled roof has been replaced with the tiles imported from the original supplier in Australia. Some repairs were undertaken in 2003 and other alterations over the years have included a double door entrance for ease of access and changes to the interior to improve the lighting.

An Anglican parochial district covering New Lynn, Glen Eden, Titirangi, Laingholm and Huia was established in New Lynn during 1927. Anglican services were held at the church once a fortnight, celebrated by a curate from New Lynn, while the Presbyterian minister from Avondale conducted services on alternate Sundays. Both congregations went to all services. The Presbyterians talked about “Our Anglican Minister” and likewise the Anglicans would say “Our Presbyterian Minister”.

Architect J. Park drew up plans for a new gateway to the church in which to install the first bell, imported from England and sponsored by J. Burns & Co. A dedication service was conducted in May 1940 by Reverend Bedford. Mrs Emily Bishop was given the honour of being the first to ring the bell but the electrician installing the underground wiring for it was ironically called up to the army the day before so the bell ringing didn’t take place. The bell was stolen in 2006 and was replaced at considerable cost with a smaller one, cast by Bettacast Foundry in Avondale.

Hotel Titirangi (1930-1939) was an ideal reception venue for weddings in the early days of the church and, later, the Toby Jug next door made an ideal church and reception combo for those who wanted an entirely Titirangi wedding. (The Toby Jug had also opened in 1924 but was just a tea kiosk at this time.)

The church was shared by the Anglicans and the Presbyterians until they both outgrew the space and moved to their present sites in the 1980s – St Francis Anglican Church at 96 Park Road and the Titirangi Presbyterian Church at 234 Atkinson Road. Since 1991, the Traditional Anglican Communion has held a regular Sunday morning service in the church while the Community of St Columba holds monthly Celtic, Christian and Contemplative services. In 1999, the church was further dedicated to locals who lost their lives in conflicts after World War I.

The church has long been a popular venue for weddings, funerals and other events and meetings. My own parents chose the church for their wedding in 1958. [The editor’s parents were also married there, in 1954.] To enquire about hiring the venue, contact Beryl Sweeting at sweetingberyl@msn.com.

Early members of our community contributed to this unique building, and current church trustees would welcome assistance from today’s Titirangi community to remember them, and the locals who lost their lives in war and conflict, and to ensure that the building survives. Financial support through donations or use of the church would be welcome but you might also consider organising a working bee or helping to plan the 100 year anniversary in 2024. To get involved, contact Don Anton at anton43@gmail.com.

The six-month anniversary of the opening of the Soldiers Memorial Church 18-11-1924. © Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections JTD-10A-05413