Historic Churches A Guide to Over 60 Early New Zealand Churches

Historic Churches

A Guide to Over 60 Early New Zealand Churches

By Linda Burgess

Random House - $50.00

Traveling the length of New Zealand from north to south, this husband and wife team, writer Linda and photographer Robert Burgess explore the regions by churches.

The result is this warm, informative and interesting guide to over 60 of New Zealand’s early historic churches. There are the unique, quirky, architecturally significant, weather-beaten, downtown, and back-of-beyond churches as well as quaint country churches, small school chapels, grand cathedrals and curious synagogues.

Along the way Linda and Robert encounter the architects, ministers, missionaries and personalities with a story to tell. They also discover the tragic links, battles fought, injustices and even murders the churches bore witness to over the decades.

Chosen mostly by their interesting stories or history, careful consideration has been made to get a wide geographical spread.

The book makes an excellent companion to the author’s previous wonderful Random House title, Historic Houses, published in 2007.

Linda and Robert spent years compiling this well-researched collection. The book required a significant amount of travel and best efforts to find someone to unlock the churches’ secrets and doors.

This is an affectionate, entertaining and informative guide with a rich and engaging text that will take you on a colourful journey and will make you want to pack a bag, jump in the car and travel the country visiting these special places.

My copy is already in the glove box of our car in preparation for a number of church visits, the first of which is going to be the  Minniesdale Chapel on the Kaipara Harbour built back in 1867. The author describes it as "one of the prettiest little chapels in New Zealand"

Thrilled too to see two churches that were special to me in times gone by both featured: 
Matawhero Church, Gisborne and Eskdale War Memorial Church, Napier.