Eras & Architecture
Stone and timber, mountain and forest. Our buildings are of different generations and styles: the country’s oldest stone church has grown into a Cathedral with Hatherly Hall, the Vicarage, Te Whare Hononga and the Peace Hall across the street. They are an alignment of definitive eras of architecture, people and purpose. They mark our history and point to a future where the weaving of Indigenous and settler roots provide a spiritual home, a kete/basket of learning and inspiration for a unified Taranaki region.
1845
TARANAKI CATHEDRAL
CHURCH OF ST MARY
St Mary’s was built in 1845, making it the oldest stone church in Aotearoa NZ. The church was designed by. ———- in the Oxford Gothic Style. It started small, but expanded over the years and in 2010 became Taranaki Cathedral. In 2016 it was closed for earthquake strengthening and since that time we have gathered for Sunday services at the Peace Hall across the road.
The Cathedral’s stone is Taranaki Andesite, a volcanic rock from Taranaki Maunga, sourced from Kawaroa reef. The Cathedral is a visual reminder of our shared history shaped by our local landscape, intrinsically linked to Taranaki and the stories of who we are, where we have come from and where we are going.
How St Mary’s Grew
3D VIRTUAL TOUR
Thanks to the generosity of Sam Masters and Professionals Real Estate, we are able to present a virtual walkthrough of the Cathedral.
1924
THE PEACE MEMORIAL HALL
The Peace hall was designed by New Plymouth architects Messenger, Griffiths and Taylor and built by contractors J.T. Julian & Son. There are many War Memorial Halls around New Zealand, but this Hall was built to commemorate peace at the end of World War I.
1993
HATHERLY HALL
2023
TE WHARE HONONGA
Te Whare Hononga, The House That Binds is the most recent addition to the Cathedral site. Built in 2023, the Architecture is inspired by the image of a kono (food basket) - the wooden beams placed in a woven pattern, with points of meeting and uniting.
AWARDS:
2024 Western Architecture Awards Winner
Architecture Now 2024 Interior Awards, Civic Award winner
