St. Thomas' Anglican Church, Maketu
Organisation Details
DescriptionThis is one of the oldest churches in the Bay of Plenty, having been built in 1868, and opened on the 21st March, 1869 by Ihaia (Isaac) Te Ahu (Nga Puhi) with the assistance of the Rev. T. S. Grace, as Ihiaia's health was suffering at the time. Ihaia had been ordained Deacon in 1861 by Bishop William Williams at Tauranga when Rev. Thomas Chapman and his wife Anne and children left Maketu in the same year.
The church celebrated its centennial on August 21st, 1968. This was the date in 1868 when the foundation stone was laid. A newspaper report from 1966 tells the story of a document that was found underneath the foundation stone by tradesmen Quentin Lawrence and Colin Bowen whilst renovation work was being carried out in anticipation of the centennial celebrations. This document had been carefully placed in an old castor oil bottle. Upon being removed and carefully unrolled, the text read: "The Foundation of this Church was laid on the 21st day of August 1868 in the presence of: Archdeacon A. H. Brown, Rev. S. M. Spencer, Rev. Ihaia Te Ahu, Rev. Rihara Rangamaro, and the natives of Maketu. At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow."
At the event of the centennial, the church was filled with locals and visitors at the service of the Holy Communion which was led by the Reverend William (Brown) Turei of Whakatane and the Reverend H. H. Tangohau of Te Ngae. The Te Puke Rotary Club, who had carried out the renovations, were well represented along with visitors from Rotorua. Gifts of a pair of brass vases came from the Moko whanau of Maketu, and a bible from the Te Puke Rotary Club. After the service, a social event was held at the Whakaue Marae where a three tiered cake, decorated by Mrs. Ivy Parsons was enjoyed by the congregation.
All the newspaper cuttings from which these stories are taken were sent to Western Bay Community archives by Ivy's daughter, Beryl Cleland of Rotorua.
In 2018, St. Thomas celebrated its 150th Anniversary which was organised by its then Deacon, Meeshla Nathan (Nga Puhi) . The building continues to be maintained and enjoys category 2 status (Listing #777) with Heritage New Zealand|Pouhere Taonga.
The church celebrated its centennial on August 21st, 1968. This was the date in 1868 when the foundation stone was laid. A newspaper report from 1966 tells the story of a document that was found underneath the foundation stone by tradesmen Quentin Lawrence and Colin Bowen whilst renovation work was being carried out in anticipation of the centennial celebrations. This document had been carefully placed in an old castor oil bottle. Upon being removed and carefully unrolled, the text read: "The Foundation of this Church was laid on the 21st day of August 1868 in the presence of: Archdeacon A. H. Brown, Rev. S. M. Spencer, Rev. Ihaia Te Ahu, Rev. Rihara Rangamaro, and the natives of Maketu. At the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow."
At the event of the centennial, the church was filled with locals and visitors at the service of the Holy Communion which was led by the Reverend William (Brown) Turei of Whakatane and the Reverend H. H. Tangohau of Te Ngae. The Te Puke Rotary Club, who had carried out the renovations, were well represented along with visitors from Rotorua. Gifts of a pair of brass vases came from the Moko whanau of Maketu, and a bible from the Te Puke Rotary Club. After the service, a social event was held at the Whakaue Marae where a three tiered cake, decorated by Mrs. Ivy Parsons was enjoyed by the congregation.
All the newspaper cuttings from which these stories are taken were sent to Western Bay Community archives by Ivy's daughter, Beryl Cleland of Rotorua.
In 2018, St. Thomas celebrated its 150th Anniversary which was organised by its then Deacon, Meeshla Nathan (Nga Puhi) . The building continues to be maintained and enjoys category 2 status (Listing #777) with Heritage New Zealand|Pouhere Taonga.
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St. Thomas' Anglican Church, Maketu. Western Bay of Plenty Community Archives, accessed 22/07/2026, https://westernbay.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/4127
