St Paul's Cathedral is a cathedral on Eccleston Hill, in Thorndon, Wellington, New Zealand, and the seat of the Bishop of Wellington .
The present building is Wellington's third St Paul's. Work commenced on the cathedral in 1955, and was completed in 1998. It was constructed with reinforced concrete due to the effects of the 1931 Napier earthquake making other choices impractical. It began functioning as a cathedral church from 1964.
Major state events are held inside the Cathedral, including numerous state funerals and commemorative services. The Cathedral choir also sings at major state events off-site, most notably at the annual ANZAC Day service at the National War Memorial. Some of these events plus the Christmas service at the Cathedral are broadcast on national television.
It is located directly adjacent to the Neo-Gothic (Parliamentary) General Assembly library, providing a sharp contrast to the clean straight lines of the post-war cathedral.
There is a minor chapel on the "north" side of the Cathedral called the Lady Chapel, constructed of wood.
Previous churches
The first St Paul's church was located behind where the Beehive stands today. This functioned as a parish church for the early settlers, and was under the direction of the Bishop of New Zealand.
The second (popularly known as "Old St Paul's") was begun behind the Pipetea Marae in 1855 and from 1866 to 1964 functioned as the pro-cathedral church for the Diocese of Wellington. It is still consecrated however the Government has ownership of the site.
Note
The Cathedral is not to be confused with the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, located less than 250m away on the same street (Hill Street).
External links
Last updated: 05-29-2005 00:28:18
