Old St Paul's

Old St Paul's is a historic wooden church at 34 Mulgrave Street, Thorndon, Wellington, close to Parliament. It is a Heritage New Zealand property and a well-known venue for weddings, services and events.

History

Governor George Grey laid the foundation stone on 21 August 1865, and the church was consecrated on 6 June 1866. It served as the parish church of Thorndon and as the pro-cathedral of the Diocese of Wellington until 1964. The government bought it in 1967 and vested it in the Historic Places Trust (now Heritage New Zealand), after a long campaign against its demolition. It is a Category 1 Historic Place.

Architecture

Designed by the Reverend Frederick Thatcher in a Gothic Revival style, it is built from New Zealand native timbers, with exposed rimu trusses, kauri roof sarking and notable stained-glass windows. The interior has been likened to an upturned ship's hull. The building closed from May 2019 to July 2020 for seismic strengthening.

Events

The church remains consecrated and is used for weddings, funerals and other services, and has operated as an events venue since 1967. Hire details and capacity are not published in the sources reviewed, so confirm these with Heritage New Zealand. See also Wellington venues.