Story: Creative life

Old St Paul’s Church, Wellington

Old St Paul’s Church, Wellington

Architect Frederick Thatcher’s 1866 design for St Paul’s Anglican Church in Wellington followed the English medieval Gothic style, then thought to be the only appropriate style for a church. In England, such churches would have been built of stone; in New Zealand wood was the most available material. In practice, the wooden construction of Old St Paul’s has enabled it to withstand Wellington’s high winds and earthquakes for nearly 150 years.

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Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: Plans-81-0614

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:

Nancy Swarbrick, 'Creative life - Architecture', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/document/4160/old-st-pauls-church-wellington (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Nancy Swarbrick