St George’s Anglican Church, Patea

This Anglican Church in Patea is registered as a Category 1 heritage building with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.

It was built in 1885 to a design by Frederick de Jersey Clere. The original plan was for a church to seat 305 people, however due to the financial situation of the congregation Clere redrew the plans to accomodate 100 fewer people.

Susan Maclean in her book, “Architect of the Angels; The Churches of Frederick de Jersey Clere”, calls St. George “one of his most original and delightful churches, built for £630 and consecrated in March 1885”.

She descibes the design as “five equilateral triangles, two sides of each forming the roof rafters which are carried down to floor level. The third side forms the base and ties in the feet of the other two sides. The portions of the rafters projecting beyond the walls function as buttressses, providing stability in the coastal Patea winds”.

In the 1950s the church was in poor repair and major renovations were undertaken with the supervision of Auckland architect Rigby Mullan. It was repiled and rewired, the vertical board and batten exterior reclad with asbestos cement, and the original roof shngles covered with corrugated iron. St George’s was re-dedicated by Bishop Eric Rich on 27 April 1957.(Maclean).

St George’s church is now part of the Parish of St Mary’s, Hawera.

The church is available for weddings and funerals.  Please contact Administration Manager at the Waitotara Archdeaconry office  on wta.manager@wtanglican.nz for more details.