St Mary's on the Hill Anglican Parish

Just a short distance out of South Auckland in this quaint quiet area near the Bombay Hills is this wee church, St Mary on the Hill Anglican Parish.  According to the website a small wooden church was originally built was built around the 1860s but was destroyed by a fire in the 1867 so worship services were held around the area in different places including the local school.

But as the population grew so did the need for a church. In 1890 Francis Pyne arrived from England and bought 700 acres of land for his benefactor Harriet Johnston who came to NZ about a year later. A large home was built for her in which she lived in until she died in 1916. In 1899 she offered to pay for the Anglican Church to be built in an imposing Gothic revival and the wages of the resident clergyman and the church of St Mary on the Hill was consecrated by Bishop Cowie in 1901.

Linking up with Our World Tuesday :-)

Fraser Road Presbyterian Church - Pokeno

Sometimes on our travels we try to stop at any old historical churches we see. On our road trip to Auckland last week we drove past this one on Fraser Road in Pokeno called the Presbyterian Church. Apparently it first opened in 1883 but is now someone's private residence - lucky them!

\And with the cemetery next door looking out onto the rolling countryside I bet they have the quietest neighbours.

Linking up with Our World Wednesday and Outdoor Wednesday :-)