Skip to main content

Story: Missions and missionaries

Paihia mission house

Image
Paihia mission house

The third Church Missionary Society mission station (after Rangihoua and Kerikeri) was set up at Paihia in 1823. It was known to some locals as 'Heaven' because of its contrast with the nearby whaling village of 'Hell', or Kororāreka (later renamed Russell). This 1830 watercolour, possibly by Henry Williams, shows a croquet lawn and the house where Williams lived with his wife, Marianne.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: A-048-007

by Henry Williams

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

All images & media in this story

How to cite this page

Peter J. Lineham, Missions and missionaries – First years of the CMS mission, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/28006/paihia-mission-house (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Peter J. Lineham, published 23 March 2011.