Mataura Presbytery Records


Camp Columba, Pukerau -

  • The girls' dormitory at the Gore District Bible Class Camp Columba, which covered some 3,000 square feet, was 75% destroyed by fire in month of March some time during 1970's. The building was insured.

East Gore Presbyterian Church, Gore -

  • Baptism Register 1953 to 1968 missing (?); no Communion roll 1953 to 1963.

Kaiwera Presbyterian Church -

  • The old wooden Kaiwera Church, which had been opened on the 18th April 1897, burnt down at about 11am on the 5th November 1947. The cause of the fire is not recorded however electricity had apparently never been connected to the building. The roofing iron and also some bricks were tendered for which recouped £12 pounds.

Edendale Presbyterian Church -

  • Baptismal register 1904 to 1913 missing; no Deacon's Court minutes 1904 to 1924.

Kelso Presbyterian Church -

  • No Communion roll 1888 to 1895 (noted missing in 1954); Baptism register 1888 to at least 1954 unaccounted for (extant in 1954).
  • A History of the Kelso Parish written by William Walker for the Kelso Parish 50th anniversary in 1938 is missing (2010). Any information on the whereabouts of this history would be appreciated. Please refer to the "Contact Us" page on our Homepage.

Knapdale Presbyterian Church -

  • Baptism register 1883 to 1910 missing; no Presbyterian Women's Missionary Union Minute book 1916 to 1919.

Mataura Presbyterian Church -

  • A defective heater in the Church caused a small fire in 1939 causing £17 pounds worth of damage.
  • Upper Mataura Church Session minutes March 1878 to June 1905 missing; Deacons Court Minute Books Dec 1899 to Apr 1932; and Communion rolls 1891 to 1935 missing.
  • A quantity of Church minute books were long thought to be missing but unexpectedly turned up in the Bank of New Zealand in October 2009, despite earlier assurances by the bank that they held no records on behalf of the Presbyterian Church. The records had apparently been placed in the bank for safekeeping after the Parish centennial history had been written some time after 1974.

Presbyterian Women's Missionary Union, Mataura Presbyterial -

  • The Minute Books covering the period from its inception (pre World War One) to 1938 are missing and are believed to have been destroyed. An attendance register survives from the 1930's to 1954 and a cash book dating from 1913 to 1952. Minute books are held from 1939 through to 1964 when it amalgamated with the APW.

Riversdale Presbyterian Church -

  • The following records have been damaged by fire, possibly from the fire which badly damaged the Riversdale manse on the night of the 17 June 1972 (only the covers and edges of pages have been affected, some worse than others) : Riversdale Balance Sheets 1914-20; Riversdale Management Committee Minutes 1913 to 1951; Riversdale cash book 1887 to 1929; Busy Bee minute book 1944 to 1946.

St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Gore -

  • Session minutes 1884 to 1906 missing (?); no Baptism register c.1884 to 1890; no Management Committee minutes 1884 to 1898 (letter books for the Management Committee survive from 1880 to 1914).

Tapanui Presbyterian Church -

  • Baptismal register prior to 1871 missing (noted missing in 1954); no Communion rolls 1864 to 1889.
  • Church Papers relating to the building of the original Church (opened 5th April 1874) 'fell' into private hands and had to be purchased at some cost from a second hand dealer in 2004. This situation underlines the danger of Parish papers and material being held by private individuals.

Tuturau Presbyterian Church -

  • According to a record from 1938, the Parish once issued Communion Tokens. As at this date none could be located. It is unknown if they were of metal or card.
  • After construction of the Church, and due to its location partway up an exposed hillside, the whole building caught the wind to such an extent that two large internal bracing beams had to be placed at the rear of the Church in a "V" shape extending from the floor up to the rear upper wall at the north end (back) of the Church. This Church was closed and sold for demolition in the late 1980's.

Wakaia (Nokomai-Switzers Parish) Presbyterian Church -

  • No Baptism register 1870 to 1896; no Communion roll prior to 1898.
  • In a short history of the Parish, the respected Southland Presbyterian Church historian, Mr WA McCaw, noted that records for the Switzers-Nokomai Parish had been destroyed when the manse burnt down about 1901. The official Parish records do not bear this out. The original manse built in1872 was still standing till some years later. A Parish Session does not appear to have been constituted until 1899 with a Management Committee operating from 1882. It does appear, however, that the records of the Parish from it's formation as a sanctioned charge on the 13th April 1870 under the Rev Morrison are very meagre and much reliance still needs to be placed on newspapers reports of the period.
  • It is noted that most Parish registers, including those from later years, are singed by fire, presumably being held in the Riversdale manse which was damaged by fire on the 17th June 1972.

Waikaka Presbyterian Church -

  • No Communion roll 1901 to 1909.

Waikaka Valley Presbyterian Church -

  • (First) Marriage Register 1894 to Feb 1905 missing

Waipahi Presbyterian Church -

  • This country Church has a very strongly buttressed porch. According to Hardwicke Knight in his book "Church Building in Otago", the local story is that the steeple was knocked off by a plane flying low in fog on its way to Balclutha. 

Wendon Presbyterian Church :

  • The Wendon Building Committee minute book 1919 to 1924 has been damaged by fire, possibly from the fire which badly damaged the Riversdale manse on the night of the 17 June 1972 (only the cover and edges of pages have been affected).

Wendonside Presbyterian Church -

  • The following records have been damaged by fire, possibly from the fire which badly damaged the Riversdale manse on the night of the 17 June 1972 (only the covers and edges of pages have been affected, some worse than others) : Wendonside Band of Hope register 1903 to 1909; Wendonside Bible Class minutes and register c.1908-09; Wendonside Jubilee Celebrations minute book 1944.

Wyndham Presbyterian Church -

  • First marriage register 1875 to 1880 badly affected by water damage but entries still legible; other Church records also variously affected by water damage and the effects of damp.
  • Marriage Register Oct 1880 to July 1888 missing (marriage entries 27 to 50)

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