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Green Island Presbyterian Parish
Ministers of this parish have been:
In the first seven years after the arrival of the pioneer settlers, all those who resided in the Green Island district were members of First Church, Dunedin, under the care of the Rev. Dr. Burns. Local services were conducted in the school house at Green Island.
The Green Island members of First Church approached Presbytery requesting permission to transfer their membership to East Taieri under Rev. William Will. This was granted. It was soon apparent that Green Island could support its own parish with a growing population and an increasing congregation. A church was erected on a property adjacent to the later cemetery.
In December 1860 Rev. William Will was sanctioned to elect a kirk session and deacons' court as an antecedent to instituting and electing a separate charge. On January 26 1862 James Neill, William Martin and John Johnston were ordained elders, and David Howden, James Runciman, John Blair and David Andrew as deacons.
In March 1863 the Rev. Dr. Stuart met the session concerning a call to a resident minister. The call was extended to the Rev. Michael Watt, who was inducted into the charge in June 1864. Green Island formed a new parish including Saddle Hill and Brighton.
The new church building was soon found to be too small as seating capacities were stretched to the limit. Permission was granted to proceed with necessary extensions. A small manse was added in 1865. It was found within a few years that a more spacious building would be necessary.
Again the Church of Green Island was found to be too small and too far from the centre of trade and business where people congregate. In 1874 a meeting was called to consider obtaining a new church. Two years later the site of the present church was purchased for 220. The Dunedin architect, Mr Wales designed the church. which proceeded at the cost of £2 700. It was opened for public worship in May 1878 with the Rev. William Will preaching in the morning, Dr. Stuart in the afternoon and Pr. Salmond in the evening.
The Rev. Michael Watt continued his ministry at Green Island until 1903 when he resigned after a ministry of 39 years. In May 1889 the degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred on him. For 30 years he was Professor of Hebrew at the Theological College, while still at Green Island. He died in 1922 aged 86.
Dr Watt was succeeded by the Rev. John Kilpatrick who was inducted in October 1903, and continued in his ministry at Green Island until 1927. In September 1905 Miss Margaret Kirkland gave 1000 to the church for a Sunday School hall, which opened in 1906. Extensions were required to the value of 465 and Margaret Kirkland covered the cost also.
The Rev. J. Kirkland was of Scottish origin and came to Green Island from Warepa which was his first charge in New Zealand. During a period of 24 years he knew all the families under his care and had great rapport with all who knew him. His ministry covered the Great War period of 1914-1918.
Due to his organisational and administrative abilities the Rev. John MacKenzie was elected Moderator of the General Assembly in 1925.
These two ministries embraced a period of 63 years.
In 1928 the Rev. J. G. S. Dunn was inducted, coming from Kaikoura. He was the first minister to the parish to own a car. During his ministry the Great Depression engulfed the country, bringing distress, hardship and loss of identity to many in the parish. Extra demands expected of him were a strain on his ministry.
Mrs. Dunn organised many of the Christian pursuits in the church, including the women's club, and the Girls' Brigade.
In 1932 the Rev. A.W. Armstrong was inducted. He came from Belfast and was known for his quick Irish wit and his ready smile. He was called to Kilbirnie in 1939 and died in 1957.
The Rev. T.M. McDonald was inducted in 1939. His ministry spanned the years of the 1939-1945 war. He was a minister known for his powerful oratory and depth of theological content, a vehement vindicator of free will offering. He was able to clear the church's debt during his time in the parish, and introduced the Revised Church Hymnary.
In 1948 the Rev. J. W. Olliver was inducted at the beginning of the post-war era, bring with it an expansion into Green Island. Restoration of the church building was undertaken and the restored church opened in November 25 1951.
Knox Church, Dunedin, established the Waldronville Church in 1957, an area available for housing development, both lifestyle blocks and new housing. Knox provided a Deaconess and saw it as their mission. The Church Hall opened on 14 March 1959.
The Rev. T. C. Somerville was inducted in June 1958. His family was involved in the church in Otago for three generations. A new manse on Church Street was opened on 25 July 1958 - cost just over £6 000. It was opened debt free as a centennial project with the sale of the old manse at Burnside for £2 000 and £500 Synod grant.
Knox Church handed Waldronville to the Green Island Parish in 1960. The Methodist Church in Green Island closed when St. Margaret's was given reciprocal membership in 1960.
The old church was demolished on 18 June 1978 and the new church opened on 17 December 1978 for the cost of $132 000. It created division in the parish and remained contentious issue. The church was debt free within two years. Between the old and new churches the congregation met over the road at the Masonic Hall, later The Doctors - and the Sunday School continued on there until the Masons sold the building to The Doctors. Sunday School space was not good in the new church and continued to be a struggle. Services at Waldronville were held monthly until the end of the Rev. Ian Robertson's ministry, in 1983. The Sunday School continued to flourish under three dedicated lay women as teachers. The hall was used by other organisations and it served the area as a local community hall. The hall was re-roofed in 1995.
Rev. Helen Wallis was inducted in October 1984 and ministered for a year. Rev. W. George Clark was appointed to the parish from September 1985 to July 1987 during the succeeding vacancy.
Rev. Robert Anderson was inducted in September 1987 - leaving in May 1995. The Rev. Ali'itasi Toleafoa was ordained and inducted on 27 August 1995 for a period of six months. On 30 May 1996 the Rev. Tasi was inducted for three quarter time ministry for an initial period of three years.
The Kirkland Hall was decommissioned in 2000 and demolished in 2001.
Green Island, St Clair and Caversham Parishes formed the Coastal Unity Parish in 2002.
- Watt, Rev. Michael 1864-1903;
- Kilpatrick, Rev. John 1903-1927;
- Dunn, Rev. John Gilman Sharp 1928-1932;
- Armstrong, Rev. Alexander Weir 1932-1939;
- McDonald, Rev. Thomas Morrison 1939-1945;
- Olliver, Rev. James Walter 1946-1956;
- Somerville, Rev. Thomas Cameron 1958-1968;
- van Tricht, Rev. Gerard William 1960-1962 Assistant;
- Anderson, Rev. John Duncan Campbell 1963-1966 Assistant
- Hansen, Rev. B.A. 1968-1969 Temporary
- Reid, Rev. Alexander Rennie 1969-1974;
- Robertson, Rev. Ian Manson 1975-1984;
- Wallis, Rev. Helen Frances 1984-1986;
- Anderson, Rev. Robert Henry 1987-1995;
- Toleafoa, Rev. Aliitasi 1995-1996 Stated Supply 1996-2001 Minister
In the first seven years after the arrival of the pioneer settlers, all those who resided in the Green Island district were members of First Church, Dunedin, under the care of the Rev. Dr. Burns. Local services were conducted in the school house at Green Island.
The Green Island members of First Church approached Presbytery requesting permission to transfer their membership to East Taieri under Rev. William Will. This was granted. It was soon apparent that Green Island could support its own parish with a growing population and an increasing congregation. A church was erected on a property adjacent to the later cemetery.
In December 1860 Rev. William Will was sanctioned to elect a kirk session and deacons' court as an antecedent to instituting and electing a separate charge. On January 26 1862 James Neill, William Martin and John Johnston were ordained elders, and David Howden, James Runciman, John Blair and David Andrew as deacons.
In March 1863 the Rev. Dr. Stuart met the session concerning a call to a resident minister. The call was extended to the Rev. Michael Watt, who was inducted into the charge in June 1864. Green Island formed a new parish including Saddle Hill and Brighton.
The new church building was soon found to be too small as seating capacities were stretched to the limit. Permission was granted to proceed with necessary extensions. A small manse was added in 1865. It was found within a few years that a more spacious building would be necessary.
Again the Church of Green Island was found to be too small and too far from the centre of trade and business where people congregate. In 1874 a meeting was called to consider obtaining a new church. Two years later the site of the present church was purchased for 220. The Dunedin architect, Mr Wales designed the church. which proceeded at the cost of £2 700. It was opened for public worship in May 1878 with the Rev. William Will preaching in the morning, Dr. Stuart in the afternoon and Pr. Salmond in the evening.
The Rev. Michael Watt continued his ministry at Green Island until 1903 when he resigned after a ministry of 39 years. In May 1889 the degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred on him. For 30 years he was Professor of Hebrew at the Theological College, while still at Green Island. He died in 1922 aged 86.
Dr Watt was succeeded by the Rev. John Kilpatrick who was inducted in October 1903, and continued in his ministry at Green Island until 1927. In September 1905 Miss Margaret Kirkland gave 1000 to the church for a Sunday School hall, which opened in 1906. Extensions were required to the value of 465 and Margaret Kirkland covered the cost also.
The Rev. J. Kirkland was of Scottish origin and came to Green Island from Warepa which was his first charge in New Zealand. During a period of 24 years he knew all the families under his care and had great rapport with all who knew him. His ministry covered the Great War period of 1914-1918.
Due to his organisational and administrative abilities the Rev. John MacKenzie was elected Moderator of the General Assembly in 1925.
These two ministries embraced a period of 63 years.
In 1928 the Rev. J. G. S. Dunn was inducted, coming from Kaikoura. He was the first minister to the parish to own a car. During his ministry the Great Depression engulfed the country, bringing distress, hardship and loss of identity to many in the parish. Extra demands expected of him were a strain on his ministry.
Mrs. Dunn organised many of the Christian pursuits in the church, including the women's club, and the Girls' Brigade.
In 1932 the Rev. A.W. Armstrong was inducted. He came from Belfast and was known for his quick Irish wit and his ready smile. He was called to Kilbirnie in 1939 and died in 1957.
The Rev. T.M. McDonald was inducted in 1939. His ministry spanned the years of the 1939-1945 war. He was a minister known for his powerful oratory and depth of theological content, a vehement vindicator of free will offering. He was able to clear the church's debt during his time in the parish, and introduced the Revised Church Hymnary.
In 1948 the Rev. J. W. Olliver was inducted at the beginning of the post-war era, bring with it an expansion into Green Island. Restoration of the church building was undertaken and the restored church opened in November 25 1951.
Knox Church, Dunedin, established the Waldronville Church in 1957, an area available for housing development, both lifestyle blocks and new housing. Knox provided a Deaconess and saw it as their mission. The Church Hall opened on 14 March 1959.
The Rev. T. C. Somerville was inducted in June 1958. His family was involved in the church in Otago for three generations. A new manse on Church Street was opened on 25 July 1958 - cost just over £6 000. It was opened debt free as a centennial project with the sale of the old manse at Burnside for £2 000 and £500 Synod grant.
Knox Church handed Waldronville to the Green Island Parish in 1960. The Methodist Church in Green Island closed when St. Margaret's was given reciprocal membership in 1960.
The old church was demolished on 18 June 1978 and the new church opened on 17 December 1978 for the cost of $132 000. It created division in the parish and remained contentious issue. The church was debt free within two years. Between the old and new churches the congregation met over the road at the Masonic Hall, later The Doctors - and the Sunday School continued on there until the Masons sold the building to The Doctors. Sunday School space was not good in the new church and continued to be a struggle. Services at Waldronville were held monthly until the end of the Rev. Ian Robertson's ministry, in 1983. The Sunday School continued to flourish under three dedicated lay women as teachers. The hall was used by other organisations and it served the area as a local community hall. The hall was re-roofed in 1995.
Rev. Helen Wallis was inducted in October 1984 and ministered for a year. Rev. W. George Clark was appointed to the parish from September 1985 to July 1987 during the succeeding vacancy.
Rev. Robert Anderson was inducted in September 1987 - leaving in May 1995. The Rev. Ali'itasi Toleafoa was ordained and inducted on 27 August 1995 for a period of six months. On 30 May 1996 the Rev. Tasi was inducted for three quarter time ministry for an initial period of three years.
The Kirkland Hall was decommissioned in 2000 and demolished in 2001.
Green Island, St Clair and Caversham Parishes formed the Coastal Unity Parish in 2002.
Previous location: 2001/96/63
P-A53.19-37
Relates to
Recollect CollectionDunedin Presbytery
Green Island Presbyterian Parish. Presbyterian Research Centre, accessed 21/04/2026, https://pcanzarchives.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/112535
