Church of the Good Shepherd, Christchurch explained

Church of the Good Shepherd
Coordinates:-43.537°N 172.6551°W
Location:Phillipstown, Christchurch
Country:New Zealand
Previous Denomination:Anglican
Consecrated Date:31 May 1885
Events:2011 Christchurch earthquake
Status:Church
Functional Status:Demolished (2011)
Heritage Designation:Category I (prior to demolition)
Designated Date:2 April 1985
Architectural Type:Church
Style:Gothic Revival
Completed Date:1885
Demolished Date:2011
Materials:Brick

The Church of the Good Shepherd was an Anglican church in Phillipstown, Christchurch, New Zealand. It was demolished following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.

History

The vicar of Phillipstown, Rev Hannibal James Congdon Gilbert, an accountant, (James Bowlker), and a storeman, (Lewis Aylwin Carrell), together purchased the land for the church in September 1881 for £380. In March 1883, they onsold the land to the "Church Property Trustees" for a nominal ten shillings. The church, constructed in 1885, was designed in the Gothic Revival style with red brick with contrasting bands of stone, reflecting the contemporary English architectural style[1] A similarly detailed but larger church, St Johns Cathedral, was also designed by Mountfort and built in Napier between 1886 and 1888.[2] That church was destroyed by the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake thereby leaving the Church of the Good Shepherd as Mounfort's only surviving brick church.[2]

Mountfort's son, Cyril, oversaw the extension of the church between 1906 and 2007.

Due to an earthquake in September 2010, the church's gables were damaged.[3] Later that month, further damage resulted from vandalism.[3] On 22 February 2011, another earthquake caused major structural and the church was demolished later that year.[4]

Heritage listing

The church had been the last surviving brick church designed by the architect Benjamin Mountfort (1825–1898). On 2 April 1985, it was registered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust as a Category I historic place, with the registration number 1855.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Church of the Good Shepherd (Anglican) . The Register. New Zealand Historic Places Trust. 13 March 2011.
  2. Church of the Good Shepherd. The Architectural Heritage of Christchurch. Christchurch City Council Town Planning Division. 13 March 2011.
  3. News: Gates, Charlie. Church hit by vandals. 22 September 2010. The Press. 13 March 2011.
  4. Web site: Church and Vicarage . CERA . 7 June 2012. 30 August 2011.