This project started after a chance meeting at St John’s church in Wakefield. That day I learned that St John’s is the oldest continually used church in New Zealand, the oldest in the South Island and first designed by a woman.
Many of New Zealand’s most historic churches are found in Nelson and on the Waimea Plains in Tasman Bay. Diminishing congregations and ageing parishioners mean that many of the buildings face an uncertain future.
This ongoing project focuses on the communities these buildings serve and the people who try to preserve them.
Selected photos from this project were published in the July 2022 issue of North & South Magazine.
©Andy MacDonald / All Rights Reserved.