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Otautau Union Parish
The majority of the settlers who took up land and started businesses in Western Southland were Presbyterian. As their numbers increased they needed more ministers and places of worship in their particular places of settlement. They established the parent parish, Riverton, in 1862. The first three ministers covered everything west of the Waimatuku stream northwards to the lakes.
The area was too large to manage and Isla Bank-Waiau split off in 1878. Their first minister, Rev. Robert Ewen, covered thirteen preaching places from Flints Bush to Te Anau, which were often a station homestead. He was a strong man with clear cut opinions and had a lucid style which won him respect far and wide.
Services were held in the dining room of the Otautau Hotel until 1880 when they shifted to the new school building in Queen Street. Otautau developed more rapidly with the arrival of the railway in December 1879. Otautau built its first church in 1890 on the corner of Queen and Chester Street.
By 1890 Otautau was self-supporting and able to call its own minister. The Rev. Sandy Macdonald was called and inducted in 1891, and served the parish and other developing congregations for thirty four years until he retired due to ill health. Macdonald gained his degree and training at St Andrew's University and New College Edinburgh. He worked and ministered in Argentina, coming to New Zealand from that country in a cattle boat. He could speak seven languages and was an excellent stock man. During the First World War his sermons were published in the Southland Times and later stored in the National Archives in Wellington. He led his flock with a firm hand and was not above bringing wayward parishioner into line through his message from the pulpit.
The brick church was opened in 1928, and the church remained there.
Following Sandy Macdonald, Otautau had eleven licensed ministers: Reverends Bickerstaff, Howes, Burnett, Condie, Mudie, McKenzie, Brown, Shaw, Rogers, and Lindsay, and Judith Day officieated as a licensed lay preacher from 1997 to 2003. Rev. Harold Burnett served as a chaplain to the armed forces in the Second World War. During his absence Mr Samson, a woodwork teacher at the Southland Technical College, led the congregation, and altered the configuration at the front of the church. Rev. Jock Condie was remembered for his tremendous sense of humour that attracted many to the church to hear his funny illustrations.
Joint work existed between the Presbyterian and Methodist Parishes since July 1969.
The Methodist Synod sent a commission to view the Methodist work in Western Southland in May 1970. As result the Synod approached the Southland Presbytery with the recommendation to establish discussions with Presbyterian parishes in Western Southland which could be involved in negotiations for union parishes. The joint committee began in September 1970.
In 1973 to 1991 Nightcaps - Wairio - Ohai Parish became Waiono Union Parish.
Otautau was part of the Otautau-Waiono Union Parish comprising both Methodists and Presbyterians from 1987 to 2012. The Union was dissolved for practical reasons in 2012 and Otautau reverted to calling itself the Otautau Presbyterian Church.
The final service was held 31 July 2016 after the seismic assessment returned a result of between 20-25 per cent, and a decline in membership, the congregation had fallen to less than 10 members.
The area was too large to manage and Isla Bank-Waiau split off in 1878. Their first minister, Rev. Robert Ewen, covered thirteen preaching places from Flints Bush to Te Anau, which were often a station homestead. He was a strong man with clear cut opinions and had a lucid style which won him respect far and wide.
Services were held in the dining room of the Otautau Hotel until 1880 when they shifted to the new school building in Queen Street. Otautau developed more rapidly with the arrival of the railway in December 1879. Otautau built its first church in 1890 on the corner of Queen and Chester Street.
By 1890 Otautau was self-supporting and able to call its own minister. The Rev. Sandy Macdonald was called and inducted in 1891, and served the parish and other developing congregations for thirty four years until he retired due to ill health. Macdonald gained his degree and training at St Andrew's University and New College Edinburgh. He worked and ministered in Argentina, coming to New Zealand from that country in a cattle boat. He could speak seven languages and was an excellent stock man. During the First World War his sermons were published in the Southland Times and later stored in the National Archives in Wellington. He led his flock with a firm hand and was not above bringing wayward parishioner into line through his message from the pulpit.
The brick church was opened in 1928, and the church remained there.
Following Sandy Macdonald, Otautau had eleven licensed ministers: Reverends Bickerstaff, Howes, Burnett, Condie, Mudie, McKenzie, Brown, Shaw, Rogers, and Lindsay, and Judith Day officieated as a licensed lay preacher from 1997 to 2003. Rev. Harold Burnett served as a chaplain to the armed forces in the Second World War. During his absence Mr Samson, a woodwork teacher at the Southland Technical College, led the congregation, and altered the configuration at the front of the church. Rev. Jock Condie was remembered for his tremendous sense of humour that attracted many to the church to hear his funny illustrations.
Joint work existed between the Presbyterian and Methodist Parishes since July 1969.
The Methodist Synod sent a commission to view the Methodist work in Western Southland in May 1970. As result the Synod approached the Southland Presbytery with the recommendation to establish discussions with Presbyterian parishes in Western Southland which could be involved in negotiations for union parishes. The joint committee began in September 1970.
In 1973 to 1991 Nightcaps - Wairio - Ohai Parish became Waiono Union Parish.
Otautau was part of the Otautau-Waiono Union Parish comprising both Methodists and Presbyterians from 1987 to 2012. The Union was dissolved for practical reasons in 2012 and Otautau reverted to calling itself the Otautau Presbyterian Church.
The final service was held 31 July 2016 after the seismic assessment returned a result of between 20-25 per cent, and a decline in membership, the congregation had fallen to less than 10 members.
P-A47.18-70
Relates to
Recollect CollectionSouthland Presbytery
Otautau Union Parish. Presbyterian Research Centre, accessed 20/05/2026, https://pcanzarchives.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/112569
