St.Andrew'sAnglicanChurch,MahenoThepresentArtsandCraftsstylechurchbuildingisthesecondonededicatedtoSt.Andrewonthe site. The first wooden building required replacing after the white pine linings had beeninfestedwith borer. One of the congregation, Colonel Joseph Cowie Nichols (who owned theKurihekaestate)had lost twoofhis threesurvivingsons,abrotherandanephew in the firstWorldWar.HehadbeensettingasidewoolsurplusmoneysincetheWarwiththeaimofanewchurchinmind,buttheprojectwasspurredonbytwothings.ThefirstwasSt.Paul'sAnglicanChurch,TaiTapu(southofChristchurch),builtin1930,commissionedbyhisfriendSirRobertHeaton Rhodes in memory of his wife Lady Jessie Rhodes. The second was ongoingencouragementanda£2,000chequefromhisyoungestbrotherCyrilNichols.1
ST.ANDREW’SCHURCH,MAHENO(C.T.TEMPLETON2015)
ThesamearchitectwasusedatMahenoasfortheTaiTapuchurch-CecilWalterWood(1878-1947) - best known for his design of St. Paul's Cathedral,Wellington. The specification citesRichardStrachandeRenzyHarman(1896-1953)as‘associatedarchitect‘,anditwasHarmanwhowas“tobesolely inchargeduringthecourseof theerection”.2Harman's first fullchurchprojectwasChurchoftheGoodShepherdinTekapo,andhislastchurchandonlyCathedralwastheCathedralofSt.JohntheEvangelist,Napier(completedposthumouslybytheNapierfirmofMalcolm & Sweet).3 Harman & Woods were both trained in the arts and crafts school ofarchitecture(andhadbrieflybeeninpartnership).The builder of the churchwas theDunedin firmofW.McLellan&Co,withWilliamMcLellanhavingrecently finishedtheCathedralofSt.Paul's inDunedin(whichalsohasanearlyNicholfamily connection - both the pulpit and two stained glass windows being donated by thefamily).4Thefoundationstonewaslaidon30April1938“InhonourofthosewhohavingservednowrestinGod'skeeping”.
The carving inside the churchwas by Frederick Gurnsey (1868 - 1953 )whosework can befound inchurchesaroundNewZealand, (Churchof theGoodShepherd,Tekapo,St.Paul's,TaiTapu,St.Mary'sTimaru,ChristChurchCathedralChristchurch.Thebuildingworkcost£5,868,with the Colonel being responsible for delivery of allmaterials to the site, and supplying thestainedglasswindows,organ,bell,andallextrasunspecifiedinthecontract.Thiswouldincludethearchitects’feeandGurnsey'scarvingalso-somesuggestthatitwasasmuchasthebuildingpriceitself.5Theorgan,placedinachamberinthetower,wasbasedontheHill,Norman&Beard(Australia)instrument inSt.Paul's,TaiTapuandwasbuiltbyHerbertBrettofChristchurch.Bretthada
familyconnection in thatColonelNichols'remainingsonArthurCowieNicholswasbuildingainstrumentinhishouseonthefamilyestateandhadengagedBretttobuildaSwellandChoirsoundboard for him. The St. Andrew's oak consolewasmade inGermany - according to therecentchurchhistory6-andasArthurNicholshadusedAugustLaukhufftosupplyhisconsoleand carillon it may be that the console is from that supplier. However, given the amount ofGurnsey’sworkontheconsole,itmaybethattheclaimiserroneousasthecarvingimpliesthatworkatleastwasdoneinNewZealand.
*ThespareventilnowhasaPrincipal4rankinstalledbytheNewZealandOrganManufactory.7Theorganwasinstalledintimefortheconsecrationofthebuildingon16December1939.8Theoriginalwooden churchwasmoved after the secondworldWar to theKurehika estate to beusedasasawmill.Theactionwasoverhauledby theNewZealandOrganManufactory in2000 followinga shortcircuitintheconsolewhichburntoutsomeofthecabling.
