Country Churches of NZ 118. St. Mary's, Stirling, Otago

I wrote and illustrated Country Churches of New Zealand. It was published in 2002 by New Holland, Publishers and is still on sale in bookshops. The publishers have kindly agreed to me re-publishing some of the book’s images and descriptions in this blog.

ST. MARY'S, STIRLING

St. Mary's, Stirling (near Balclutha) is almost as original now as it was in 1869, with its pit-sawn heart totara boards and fancy bargeboards.

Simply Gothic, it was designed by William Ferguson 'a farmer with some training in carpentry' and stood on Inch Clutha Island until 1904 when it was dismantled, taken across the Clutha River to Stirling, and re-erected with a new iron roof.

In the mid-1960s this inscription was found above the altar: 'This church was built in August 1869 on Inch Clutha by Robert McKinlay. Shifted to Stirling and rebuilt by John Agnew in January 1905...'

© DON DONOVAN
donovan@ihug.co.nz
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