Author Description

Built in the 1860s, a century later the much loved Old St Paul's Church in Mulgrave Street, Wellington, was in grave peril, at risk from possible demolition, dismemberment or removal from its site. A friend indeed: the saving of Old St Paul's provides an account of the many Wellingtonians who raised their voices to save the church, including architects, historians, parishioners, and the Friends of Old St Paul's. It took over a decade to secure its future; the government finally purchased the church in 1966 in order to preserve it 'as a historic shrine and for other dignified purposes'. The saving of the church was a beginning not an end - now safe, what role would the church have? How was it to be restored, presented, used and managed? Likewise, having been conceived as an activist organisation, what role would the Friends of Old Saint Paul's have in the future of the church? This book commemorates the battle to save the church and celebrates the continued role of Old St Paul's in the cultural life of Wellington 150 years after its construction.