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Story: Northland places

The arrival of Christianity

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The arrival of Christianity

In December 1814, Anglican missionary Samuel Marsden travelled to the Bay of Islands from his base in New South Wales. He came ashore at Rangihoua Bay on Christmas Day and preached the first Christian sermon ever delivered in New Zealand, to Māori and Europeans. This is artist Russell Clark’s depiction of the event, painted in 1964.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library

Reference: B-077-006

by Russell Stuart Clark

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.

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How to cite this page

Claudia Orange, Northland places – Bay of Islands, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/artwork/7720/the-arrival-of-christianity (accessed 21 June 2026).

Story by Claudia Orange, published 2 March 2009, updated 1 May 2015.