Presbyterian Research Centre
The Archive and Library for the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand
Menu
Pukerau
The earliest runholders came in the 1850s. No record of the religious life of the first inhabitants has survived. The runholders of Otago and Southland were described as men of high ideals of religion, who often held services in their homes, huts, or woolsheds. Visits of ministers to Pukerau were infrequent.
Prospectors and and diggers passed along near Waipahi after the discovery of gold in 1862. A hotel was built there in 1863. The runs were broken up into smaller farms and townships developed.
In 1864 Pukerau was part of the Rev. James Urie's extensive parish of Pomahaka-Mataura Valley.
The Presbyterian Church developed as the districts did. In 1865 the Presbytery of Clutha was formed, and three years later Rev. Charles Connor was appointed to a charge centred at Clinton, extending from Clydevale to the Mataura River. It was impossible for a minister to conduct all the services of worship desired, and it was common for elders and others to read sermons. Rev. Connor conducted services when he could at Waipahi - first in the railway goods shed, and then in the parlour of the hotel.
Waipahi-Pukerau-Kelso Home Mission Station was segmented off from Pomahaka-Mataura Valley in 1877.
The earliest known services at Pukerau were held in the home of Mr. George Corrans, a bookmaker, a prominent lay man in the Church, serving as organist, elder, Session clerk, church treasurer, and superintendent of the Pukerau Sabbath School.In the early days of the Pukerau Presbyterian Parish, people and minister travelled long distances to services. Presbyterian services in the 1880s featured long prayers. A precenter led the singing, which was probably very slow and nasal, and rarely accompanied by an organ. Pukerau accepted organs very early and placed them in the churches as soon as they were built. The Pukerau organ, then 58 years old, was replaced in December 1979 with an electric organ. The sacrament of Holy Communion was celebrated twice a year, and all the people took of it from a common cup. Individual communion cups were introduced in 1911.
In 1881 the districts agreed to co-operate and secure a settled minister if funds would allow, or a home missionary to work the districts. The area could become a self-supporting parish, and was declared a church extension charge. James Roy of Wairuna was appointed missionary. The first communion was conducted at Pukerau and Otaraia in February, 1882, and later at Waipahi. Roy remained until 1885, holding services in houses, schools and halls.
In 1882 Pukerau Parish was founded as a church extension from Poptonoa (Clinton). It became a full ministerial charge in 1884 (or 1887?).
By 1885 a manse was built at Pukerau and in the next year the Sunday School had 37 pupils and 4 teachers.
In 1886 the Rev. William Finlayson was ordained and inducted to the charge, and later that year formed the first session, of which he was (by request) clerk as well as moderator. A manse was built. Finlayson's stipend was not full paid and he needed to raise a bank overdraft. In April 1888, Finlayson resigned and Pukerau became a church extension charge again.
In 1891 the Presbytery of Mataura was formed and Pukerau included within its boundaries. Robert Gardner of Gore was appointed home missionary, remaining until 1896. Churches were built at Pukerau, opening March 10, 1895, and Waipahi, July, 1896, and at Otaraia, April 18, 1897.
The Pukerau Church cost $459. The building committee decided to let the pews, charging 90c for six seats, 65c for four seats and 20c for a single seat, annually.
Many of the ministers to Pukerau were well-known names in local history. When Gardner left, W. H. Howes was appointed as church extension minister of his first charge, Pukerau-Waipahi in 1897. He conducted the first wedding in each of the three churches. His ministry was the only time in the history of Pukerau that the session exercised church discipline on members and imposed penalties for misconduct. One man was suspended for two years, and another refused disjunction.
In September 1900 Howes moved to Waihola. He was honoured by Assembly electing him Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in 1937. The parish was raised to a sanctioned charge and Rev. J. G. McLeod inducted, leaving in 1903, followed by W. G. Craigie, Samuel Gaston and Duncan McColl, 1915-1926. 1910, a three week mission campaign by Robert Kerr. A telephone was installed in the manse in 1925. In 1926 the congregation raised money to buy and maintain a car for McColl, a five-seater New Beauty Ford. The Waipahi church stable was the first to be sold in 1929.
Joseph Pullar, session clerk, 1913-1934, succeded by his Robert until his death in 1957, then by Gorden Pullar, a nephew, until 1970, when he became moderator of Mataura Presbytery.
A home missionary was appointed until 1928, and Pukerau became a sanctioned charge again. Rev. Samuel Nixon was inducted in 1929, and conducted fortnightly services and distributed books collected from the local parishes at the camp for unemployed established at Waipahi during the Slump of the early 1930s. Nixon died suddenly in 1936.
Rev. Fred Robertson moved to Pukerau until he went to Bluff in November 1944. A new manse, costing $3326, was opened at Pukerau in June, 1940.
Rev. Len Robson followed a vacancy until he moved to Seatoun in Wellington. The Kaiwera church was destroyed by fire and services held in the local hall for five years, before a new church was built.
Rev. Robert Leishman, 1953-1959; Rev. Robert Paterson, 1961-1965. Camp Columba began in the 1950s. After the 1950s the Tapanui branch railway line and the Pukerau railway station closed, garages and shops closed, the Tile and Brick Works reduced its work capacity, the telephone exchanges became automatic, resulting in a loss of population and reduced financial giving.
Paterson left to take up an appointment as lecturer in biblical studies at the Theological Hall at Knox College in December 1964. Rev. Ian Merriman was inducted February 1966-April 1971, followed by Rev. Don Murray.
1972, session instituted a four-year roster for elders, with an option for retirement or re-election. 1973, Elaine Pullar, Andrina Hunter, Lesley Stuart and Margaret Pullar, first women elected to eldership at Pukerau.
1976 Murray leaves for Dargaville in February. Rev. Jim Cunningham arrives.
1978 Mrs Eva Styles presents the parish with a communion cloth from Mr Garfield Todd, former Prime Minister of Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), and his wife, a niece of Mrs Styles.
1979 Garage and tank at manse demolished to provide access to double garage.January 1980 Cunningham leaves for St. Davids, Palmerston North. Short three month ministry of Bill and Jane Parsons from Pensylvania in 1981.May 1982 Rev. Va'alotu Solofa inducted, possibly the first Pacific Island minister in a non-Pacific Island church, developing a link with Pacific Island community at First Church of Otago, in Dunedin.
In 1991 it amalgamated with Waikaka Valley to become Pukerau Waikaka Parish.
On 3 April 2022 the Pukerau church was decommissioned.
Two ministers from Pukerau: D. C. Herron, and Ross Scott.
Prospectors and and diggers passed along near Waipahi after the discovery of gold in 1862. A hotel was built there in 1863. The runs were broken up into smaller farms and townships developed.
In 1864 Pukerau was part of the Rev. James Urie's extensive parish of Pomahaka-Mataura Valley.
The Presbyterian Church developed as the districts did. In 1865 the Presbytery of Clutha was formed, and three years later Rev. Charles Connor was appointed to a charge centred at Clinton, extending from Clydevale to the Mataura River. It was impossible for a minister to conduct all the services of worship desired, and it was common for elders and others to read sermons. Rev. Connor conducted services when he could at Waipahi - first in the railway goods shed, and then in the parlour of the hotel.
Waipahi-Pukerau-Kelso Home Mission Station was segmented off from Pomahaka-Mataura Valley in 1877.
The earliest known services at Pukerau were held in the home of Mr. George Corrans, a bookmaker, a prominent lay man in the Church, serving as organist, elder, Session clerk, church treasurer, and superintendent of the Pukerau Sabbath School.In the early days of the Pukerau Presbyterian Parish, people and minister travelled long distances to services. Presbyterian services in the 1880s featured long prayers. A precenter led the singing, which was probably very slow and nasal, and rarely accompanied by an organ. Pukerau accepted organs very early and placed them in the churches as soon as they were built. The Pukerau organ, then 58 years old, was replaced in December 1979 with an electric organ. The sacrament of Holy Communion was celebrated twice a year, and all the people took of it from a common cup. Individual communion cups were introduced in 1911.
In 1881 the districts agreed to co-operate and secure a settled minister if funds would allow, or a home missionary to work the districts. The area could become a self-supporting parish, and was declared a church extension charge. James Roy of Wairuna was appointed missionary. The first communion was conducted at Pukerau and Otaraia in February, 1882, and later at Waipahi. Roy remained until 1885, holding services in houses, schools and halls.
In 1882 Pukerau Parish was founded as a church extension from Poptonoa (Clinton). It became a full ministerial charge in 1884 (or 1887?).
By 1885 a manse was built at Pukerau and in the next year the Sunday School had 37 pupils and 4 teachers.
In 1886 the Rev. William Finlayson was ordained and inducted to the charge, and later that year formed the first session, of which he was (by request) clerk as well as moderator. A manse was built. Finlayson's stipend was not full paid and he needed to raise a bank overdraft. In April 1888, Finlayson resigned and Pukerau became a church extension charge again.
In 1891 the Presbytery of Mataura was formed and Pukerau included within its boundaries. Robert Gardner of Gore was appointed home missionary, remaining until 1896. Churches were built at Pukerau, opening March 10, 1895, and Waipahi, July, 1896, and at Otaraia, April 18, 1897.
The Pukerau Church cost $459. The building committee decided to let the pews, charging 90c for six seats, 65c for four seats and 20c for a single seat, annually.
Many of the ministers to Pukerau were well-known names in local history. When Gardner left, W. H. Howes was appointed as church extension minister of his first charge, Pukerau-Waipahi in 1897. He conducted the first wedding in each of the three churches. His ministry was the only time in the history of Pukerau that the session exercised church discipline on members and imposed penalties for misconduct. One man was suspended for two years, and another refused disjunction.
In September 1900 Howes moved to Waihola. He was honoured by Assembly electing him Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in 1937. The parish was raised to a sanctioned charge and Rev. J. G. McLeod inducted, leaving in 1903, followed by W. G. Craigie, Samuel Gaston and Duncan McColl, 1915-1926. 1910, a three week mission campaign by Robert Kerr. A telephone was installed in the manse in 1925. In 1926 the congregation raised money to buy and maintain a car for McColl, a five-seater New Beauty Ford. The Waipahi church stable was the first to be sold in 1929.
Joseph Pullar, session clerk, 1913-1934, succeded by his Robert until his death in 1957, then by Gorden Pullar, a nephew, until 1970, when he became moderator of Mataura Presbytery.
A home missionary was appointed until 1928, and Pukerau became a sanctioned charge again. Rev. Samuel Nixon was inducted in 1929, and conducted fortnightly services and distributed books collected from the local parishes at the camp for unemployed established at Waipahi during the Slump of the early 1930s. Nixon died suddenly in 1936.
Rev. Fred Robertson moved to Pukerau until he went to Bluff in November 1944. A new manse, costing $3326, was opened at Pukerau in June, 1940.
Rev. Len Robson followed a vacancy until he moved to Seatoun in Wellington. The Kaiwera church was destroyed by fire and services held in the local hall for five years, before a new church was built.
Rev. Robert Leishman, 1953-1959; Rev. Robert Paterson, 1961-1965. Camp Columba began in the 1950s. After the 1950s the Tapanui branch railway line and the Pukerau railway station closed, garages and shops closed, the Tile and Brick Works reduced its work capacity, the telephone exchanges became automatic, resulting in a loss of population and reduced financial giving.
Paterson left to take up an appointment as lecturer in biblical studies at the Theological Hall at Knox College in December 1964. Rev. Ian Merriman was inducted February 1966-April 1971, followed by Rev. Don Murray.
1972, session instituted a four-year roster for elders, with an option for retirement or re-election. 1973, Elaine Pullar, Andrina Hunter, Lesley Stuart and Margaret Pullar, first women elected to eldership at Pukerau.
1976 Murray leaves for Dargaville in February. Rev. Jim Cunningham arrives.
1978 Mrs Eva Styles presents the parish with a communion cloth from Mr Garfield Todd, former Prime Minister of Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), and his wife, a niece of Mrs Styles.
1979 Garage and tank at manse demolished to provide access to double garage.January 1980 Cunningham leaves for St. Davids, Palmerston North. Short three month ministry of Bill and Jane Parsons from Pensylvania in 1981.May 1982 Rev. Va'alotu Solofa inducted, possibly the first Pacific Island minister in a non-Pacific Island church, developing a link with Pacific Island community at First Church of Otago, in Dunedin.
In 1991 it amalgamated with Waikaka Valley to become Pukerau Waikaka Parish.
On 3 April 2022 the Pukerau church was decommissioned.
Two ministers from Pukerau: D. C. Herron, and Ross Scott.
Pukerau. Presbyterian Research Centre, accessed 06/05/2026, https://pcanzarchives.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/131154
