By Roselyn Fauth
The first St Mary's School Room on Bank Street (about where the red cross hall is), was completed in MArch 1879, wooden and plaster building was designed by architect Francis Wilson, From Post Office Tower looking south Timaru circa 1904 Dunedin by Muir and Moodie Te Papa C014394. Its replacement was built beside the church and opened 7 September 1929.
Some many not realise that St Mary’s Parish Hall on Church Street has a story all its own... Opened in 1929, it carries a foundation stone proudly dated 25 November 1928 — something interestingly that the neighbouring church can't be found. With its Gothic battlements, oriel window, and carved cross, the hall is a beauty in its own right, even if it can be overshadowed by its big sister, St Mary’s Church.
I was surprised to come across a newspaper article explaining that St Mary's Hall as we know it, wasn’t actually the first hall. Half a century earlier, a vast wooden building on Bank Street could seat 470 people, serving as both temporary church and Sunday School. This “forgotten sister” once held the heart of parish life for nearly a century... Again, another wonderful example of community legacy, where the the people of St Mary’s parish themselves paid for the hall. Although not everyone takes part in the religious side of the Church, countless children and adults have benefited from the hall as a community venue for almost a hundred years.
So, here's my blog to help you learn its story and the history of the hall we know of today...
St Mary's Hall is listed with Historic Places Trust. Illustration By Roselyn Fauth. By 30 November 1928 Tenders had been called for the new parish hall. The original Sunday School building (completed in 1879) had fallen into disrepair and was to be demolished. Funding the new St Mary’s Parish Hall was very much a parish-wide effort, built on years of appeals and special fundraising. Miss Wood raised £6,500 for Missions (associated with St Saviour’s Orphanage, Sydenham, established 1886 by Sibylla Harper). A further £9,000 was raised for the hall project; later, another £2,000 was added, enabling completion. The Vicar appealed to the whole parish for support, except for one district that was being moved to the new parish of Highfield. The vicar emphasised that this was only possible because parishioners had responded “nobly” to appeals, especially during Lent.
Here on Church Street, Timaru, just a step away from its big sister St Mary’s Church, sits St Mary’s Parish Hall. Built in 1928–29, it was designed by local architects James Turnbull and P. W. Rule and built by contractor John F. Hunt. The hall was opened on 7 September 1929 by the Very Reverend Dean J. A. Julius MA, who according to the Timaru District Councils heritage report, had been the driving force behind the halls creation. Early parish accounts called it “the finest and best equipped parish hall in the Diocese.”
If you stand on the street and look to the left of the dusky blue door, you will spy a foundation stone boldly inscribed “To the Glory of God. 25 Nov. 1928.” It’s a curious thing that while this hall still carries its stone, the larger and more imposing St Mary’s Church next door, has no visible foundation stone, I'm not actually sure if anyone knows where it is.
I assumed that this has always been the St Mary's hall, but it turns out that this 1929 hall wasn’t the parish’s first. Half a century earlier, in 1879, a very different hall stood on Bank Street. Designed by architect Francis Wilson (one of my favorite early Timaru architects, who is said to have practically rebuilt the town after the 1868 fire). The hall was a temporary church and Sunday School built while the stone St Mary’s Church was under construction. Made of wood and plaster on concrete foundations, the old hall could seat around 470 people plus a choir.
After the congregation moved into the stone church, the Bank Street building became the parish Sunday School and meeting rooms. It served for decades until it too was eventually replaced by the present hall on Church Street. The building slipped so far from memory that according to a newspaper article, when an old photograph surfaced, even local historians struggled to identify it. Only after a deep dive into the history of the parish, was it revealed as “St Mary’s School Room.” In many ways, the current hall is the heir to that forgotten Bank Street landmark — carrying forward a long tradition of spaces built for learning, gathering, and parish life.
St Mary's Hall, Timaru View from the side 2021. Photo Roselyn Fauth
Everyone knows St Mary’s Church on the corner of Church and Sophia Streets. Its spire is one of Timaru’s best-known landmarks. The hall beside it, though, I wonder if it can often be overlooked — the quieter sister in the family. But if you stop and look, I reckon it’s a bit of a stunner.
According to the book, 2010. John Button, Love and Faithfulness – Stories of St Mary’s Timaru 1860-2010, The hall was opened on the afternoon of Sunday 8 September 1929, St Mary’s Parish Hall was formally opened as part of the church’s Patronal Festival, an annual celebration dedicated to St Mary the Virgin. The new building, a solid concrete hall faced with Oamaru stone, was unveiled to parishioners in a blaze of spring flowers, hydrangeas, gladioli and Michaelmas daisies, which filled the space with colour and festivity.
Seating 500 people, with a stage for concerts and side rooms for guilds, Bible classes and clubs, the hall was immediately hailed as a great acquisition for the parish. The vicar would later describe it as “the finest and best equipped parish hall in the Diocese”, a symbol of the community’s faith and determination. From the moment of its opening, the hall bustled with life, quickly becoming a centre for youth activities, Sunday School and parish gatherings, and standing as a proud sign of progress and vitality within St Mary’s.
Built of reinforced concrete finished in plaster, St Mary’s Hall is one of our best examples of Collegiate Gothic architecture. The style was popular in the interwar years, especially for Anglican schools and halls. Its details catch the eye: strong buttresses jutting from the walls, a beautiful oriel window floating above the entrance, castellated parapets like battlements, and a gable with a carved cross. Even the lamps beside the doorway were described in the Timaru Civic Trust artcle as "charming", an example of all the care that was taken to create a special building and atmosphere. The combination of these elements give the building its dignity and presence... and it more than holds its own on Church Street.
Inside St Mary's during a gunea pig show - Photo Roselyn Fauth 2025. St Mary’s Hall, been the lively heart of the Anglican community and a close companion to neighbouring St Mary’s Church. Designed in the Collegiate Gothic style by the renowned local architects Turnbull & Rule, the hall was constructed in reinforced concrete with elegant plaster detailing. Its castellated parapet, central oriel window, and graceful arched entrance give it the look of a medieval college – a style chosen to reflect its role in education and fellowship.
The Foundation Stone Twist
The hall’s foundation stone links us directly to its moment of creation in 1928. Within a year of that date being carved, the building was opened with pride to serve its community. Inside, it was cleverly designed to meet every need: a vicar’s office, library, Guild Room, and a large hall with stage that could be divided into nine classrooms using movable panels. The basement was set aside for the Boy Scouts, while upstairs an infants’ department and women’s clubroom completed the plan.
The hall was and still is a hive of activity, purpose-built to nurture the parish in both faith and fellowship. I have watched my kids take dance lessons there, attended book sales, mourned with friends after funerals, and caught up with my friend who works from an office there.
St Marys Hall and the Wreck Monument, Right: Detail in the artwork - Photo Sharleyne Diamond 2025.
The Personal Discovery
Walking down Church Street today, I realise I’d been guilty of overlooking it myself. The eye is always drawn to the grand church, but once you take in the hall, its character speaks volumes. Nearly a century old, it still stands in excellent, original condition. Even when it closed in 2012 for an engineering report, the findings showed only cosmetic work was needed. It reopened in 2016 for community events, and when the church closed in 2018 for strengthening, parish services shifted back into the hall. The so-called “little sister” once again carried the weight of parish life, just as its Bank Street predecessor had done in the 1880s.
For me, St Mary’s Hall is a reminder that heritage includes both grand churches as well as the places where everyday life happened. I think these things can matter just as much as stone churches, towers and stained glass.
St Mary’s Hall carries the heartbeat of its parish for nearly a century. A Gothic gem in its own right, it deserves to be remembered as the faithful sister to one of Timaru’s most iconic churches.
Next time you’re on Church Street, stop for a moment. Look at the carved cross in the gable, the battlements along the parapet, the oriel window above the doorway. Once you notice the details — and know its story — you might see St Mary’s Hall for what it is: One of Timaru’s lovely Gothic treasures.
Photo inside the hall showing the partitions - Photo supplied by Sharleyne Diamond 2025. Inside, they incorporated wall panels into the hall to allow the large ground-floor space to be divided into nine classrooms for Sunday school. Apprarently there is a basement that was home to the Boy Scouts which I would love to investigate. Upstairs, space was set aside for an infants’ department and a women’s clubroom, ensuring the hall served every generation of parish life.
Details of St Mary's Hall - by Roselyn Fauth 2025
St Mary's Retrolens survey photo from 1856 show St Mary's neighbourhood at the time from above.
St Marys Hall up on the hill on the left the church on the right 2021 Photo By Roselyn Fauth
Fun Facts:
- St Mary’s Hall was built in 1928–29, the foundation stone was laid 25 November 1928, and officially opened on 7 September 1929 by Dean Julius (former vicar or St Mary's).
- It is designed in the Collegiate Gothic style, with a castle-like parapet and oriel window that make it look like a medieval college.
- Architects: Turnbull & Rule, a Timaru-based practice. James Turnbull (1864–1947) founded the firm. Percy Watts Rule became partner ~1920 and was principal designer by the late 1920s.
- Unlike the earlier wooden hall, it was constructed in reinforced concrete with fine plaster detailing, making it strong and stylish for its time, John T. Hunt (1880–1966)..
- The main hall could be transformed into nine classrooms for Sunday school using clever folding wall panels.
- A stage was included for concerts, plays, and parish events.
- The first floor was designed for infants’ classes and a women’s clubroom.
- The basement was purpose-built for the Boy Scouts, making the hall a hub for young people.
- For generations it has hosted guild meetings, parish socials, and countless community gatherings.
- When St Mary’s Church closed in 2018 for earthquake strengthening, the hall was used as the main worship space.
- It was designed by Turnbull & Rule, the local architectural firm behind many of Timaru’s most recognisable buildings.
Exterior Features:
Two-storey building with trapezoidal footprint and gabled roof.
Symmetrical façade with central entry.
Oriel window above the entrance.
Castellated parapet with pediment breaking through.
Multipane casement windows and string course detailing.
Shallow lancet-arched doorway flanked by lamps.
Rear lean-to section fits irregular site.
Interior (original design):
Ground floor: vicar’s office, Sunday School library, Guild Room, large hall with stage, kitchen; folding wall panels created nine classrooms.
Basement: designed for the Boy Scouts.
First floor: infants’ department and women’s clubroom.
Setting: On south side of Church Street, between Bank Street and Sophia Street, adjacent to St Mary’s Anglican Church (separated by a right of way).
Heritage Status: Listed as a Category B Historic Heritage Item by Timaru District Council.
St Mary's Church (Anglican) is listed on the Heritage New Zealand List (No. 328).
Gothic Spires and Community Halls: The Legacy of St Mary’s
St Marys Church, Timaru, circa 1909, Timaru, by William Ferrier. Te Papa (O.051437)
St Mary’s Church in Timaru is one of the town’s most significant heritage buildings. Completed in 1880, it was designed by William Barnett Armson, one of New Zealand’s leading nineteenth-century architects. Armson was known for his strong Gothic Revival style, and St Mary’s is a clear example of this, with its bold proportions, pointed arches and sense of vertical lift. The church was later enhanced by the work of Frederick George Gurnsey, a Welsh-born master carver who emigrated to New Zealand and left his mark on many important buildings, including Christchurch Cathedral, the Bridge of Remembrance, and the Church of the Good Shepherd at Tekapo. At St Mary’s, Gurnsey’s detailed stone and wood carvings added depth and character, enriching the fabric of Armson’s design.
Next to the church stands St Mary’s Hall, which has long complemented the role of the church itself. Where the church provided a place for worship and spiritual life, the hall functioned as a centre for parish meetings, community gatherings and social occasions. The relationship between the two buildings reflects the dual role of churches in nineteenth- and twentieth-century New Zealand society – not only as sacred places but also as focal points for community life.
The broader architectural story also links to Collins and Harman, one of Christchurch’s oldest architectural partnerships. The firm, which grew out of Armson’s original practice, was responsible for some of Canterbury’s most important early twentieth-century buildings. Their continuation of Armson’s legacy helps connect St Mary’s to a wider architectural tradition, one that combined design, craft and civic purpose. Together, the church and the hall form a landmark pairing in Timaru, each building adding to the story of faith, artistry and community.
Saint Marys Church with tennis courts in the foreground Tiaki IRN692739 RN11 008729 G PA Group 00103ThePress 1907 nlnzimage
Saint Mary's Anglican Church, Timaru, with crowds of people and a motor car out the front. The Press (Newspaper) :Negatives. Ref: 1/1-008664-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/29947796
Edinburgh Portrait Gallery, St Mary's Church, Timaru (1871). Hocken Digital Collections, accessed 10/09/2025, https://hocken.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/52118
St Mary's Anglican Church, Timaru 1894 - Photo by William Ferrier. The New Zealand Graphic and Ladies Journal, 30 June 1894, p.616. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections NZG-18940630-0616-01. No known copyright restrictions
Timaru, 1902, Timaru, by Melvin Vaniman. Purchased 2024. Te Papa (O.051719)
Timaru. From the album Scenes of New Zealand, circa 1880, Timaru, by Messrs. F. Bradley & Co. Te Papa (O.042400)
Sources
https://www.pressreader.com/new-zealand/the-timaru-herald/20161126/281797103597660
https://www.heritage.org.nz/list-details/328/St%20Mary's%20Church%20(Anglican)
Book, 2010. John Button, Love and Faithfulness – Stories of St Mary’s Timaru 1860-2010