Church's past splendour to be revived

By BRIDGET CARTER

It's one of Auckland's oldest and perhaps most beautiful churches.

But after towering over the city for more than 100 years, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is due for a makeover.

A $480,000 project began last month to restore the Khyber Pass landmark to its former Victorian glory.

And by September, the Anglican church will have a new roof, spouting improvements, repaired stained glass windows, a fresh coat of paint and a fire sprinkler system.

The church manager, Canon Roger Hill, says the Holy Sepulchre was originally owned by the Auckland Diocese and was the only church in the area.

In the 19th century, it welcomed 800 people from as far away as Helensville each Sunday.

"The church looked after the west," he says.

Canon Hill believes there is a moral obligation to maintain the local monument, now owned by the Auckland Anglican Maori mission.

"It just seemed that the building was part of the history of Auckland City.

"There was a moral obligation to the community, as well as the church, to keep it to a very high standard.

"And it is a beautiful church for things like weddings," says Canon Hill.

He says the church also has connections with people from as far away as Britain and the Middle East.

"It is amazing the number of people who have had some person in their family who at one stage was part of this."

The church has been described as a significant example of late Victorian Gothic Revival church design. It was designed by the then-prominent Auckland architectural practice of Edward Mahoney and Son.

The Historic Places Trust has asked that the building be restored to look as close to the original as possible, so the colour scheme will include cream, beige, slate green and a moss coloured roof, as it appeared in 1881.

And people have been generous, he says. The copper going up on the steeple is donated and so is the paint.

"People in general realise the importance not so much of the church, but of the building to Auckland City."