St David's Church Hall

At the heart of Uptown sits a cluster of historic buildings that have been focal points in the neighbourhood’s rich past. Traditionally, when a site was chosen for a church it was likely to be near a city’s highest point, so the four churches close to Maungawhau are a nod to a motorway-free, pre-apartment era.

Here you stand in front of St David’s Memorial Church; fondly known as “The Cathedral of the Presbyterian Church”. It occupies a prominent landmark position on Khyber Pass, opposite the Anglican Church of the Holy Sepulchre (across the road from where you're standing). St David's foundation stone was laid on ANZAC Day 1927, and it was dedicated as The Soldiers’ Memorial Church in October of that year. In 2018 it was designated a Category A Historic Heritage Place for its significance to the Auckland region. It is a rare ‘living’ memorial, in that it was built in its entirety as a place of remembrance.

The church is made from Oamaru Stone and heritage red Kamo Brick and designed in the timeless Roman-Gothic Revival style. Pointed windows reflect the Gothic influence and rounded windows the Roman. The great, generous windows of St David’s fill the interior with light. The interior features a subtly raked floor, single-span wooden ceiling and superb acoustics.

The Church has very recently been saved from demolition by individuals and trusts throughout Aotearoa, and the aim of Friends of St David's Trust, newly named Kāhui Rangi Pūpū, is not only to retain its original purpose as a living memorial and place for New Zealand soldiers, but to open its doors to the community and become a much-needed acoustic music centre. It's an exciting prospect to see this space come to life once more, as a creative and musical hub for the Uptown community.

Words: Freya Sawbridge & Suzanne McNamara (this piece was adapted from articles featured in Uptown Magazine)