New Plymouth was chosen as the site for New Zealand’s second European colony, with settlers arriving from 1841 onwards. The beginnings of Christianity in the area came as a result of the need to provide the familiar spiritual and cultural institutions of home to the settlers, as well as missionary services to the Maori population. As the majority of colonists were members of the
Church of England, the
Church Mission Society was able to seek the appointment of a Bishop for New Zealand, tasked with setting up the Anglican constitution in the new
Diocese of New Zealand. Initially, the diocese included the whole country as well as islands from
Polynesia. In 1841
George Augustus Selwyn was appointed the Bishop of New Zealand. He arrived in New Zealand in 1842 and began his work. After visiting New Plymouth in October 1842, Bishop Selwyn began to organize the construction of churches in this new parish. He appointed the reverend William Bolland as
Deacon for the parish of New Plymouth, allocating an existing sandstone house at Te Henui as residence for him and his family. He also got in touch with
Frederick Thatcher, a London-trained architect, associate of the
Royal Institute of British Architects, who arrived in New Plymouth in 1843. He was a key figure in the development of New Zealand’s Gothic Revival vernacular churches. St Mary's is one of the earliest stone churches in New Zealand, with the original part of it built between 1845 and 1846 in the
Gothic Revival style. This original part, approximately 15m by 9m, designed by Thatcher according to ideas supplied by Bishop Selwyn, has plain rubble walls, exposed timber beams, a steep-sloped Rimu roof and tall, narrow windows with pointed arches at the top. St Mary's was a parish church from 1842 to 2010 and it was consecrated as a cathedral in the
Diocese of Waikato and Taranaki on 6 March that year. On 28 June 1984, the building was registered as a Category 1 heritage structure by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust (now
Heritage New Zealand), with registration number 148. The adjoining cemetery surrounding the church contains the graves of Reverend William Bolland, who opened the church, the Reverend Henry Govett, the second vicar, Captain Henry King, Resident Magistrate and other notable historic figures, as well as a number of significant trees. == Image gallery ==