Te Kowhai heritage needs your help
Story by Ruth Smart.
St Stephen’s church is the small white church just north of the garage in Te Kowhai. Originally built on a site in Collie Rd in 1903, it was moved by Mr V Jack to the ‘new’ village, and the site donated by Mr Vic Henton in 1955.
This church is now over 115 years old. Regular services have been held in this building since in was built and consecrated in 1903. This historic building is possibly the oldest within the village itself. It is one for us all to treasure and protect for future generations.
Today, regular services are held on the first and third Sunday of the month. There will also be Christmas services in December.
Compared to the ‘baby boomer years’ when there was a roll of 27 children at Sunday School with three teachers and a Ladies Guild who extended a caring hand to the community, we, like many mainstream churches, reflect the modern times, with a regular congregation of ten. Less during the winter months.
Recently, as you’ve passed by, you may have noticed the door was repaired. The cost of this was met with a Heritage grant from Waikato District Council. We have also completed the rewiring of both the church and the annex, to ensure they are safe.
Our initial investigation of the church has shown it is suffering from water damage and in need of major maintenance as well as painting. We have one quote for the repair and paint but are well aware the actual state of the timber will not be really known until the paint has been stripped back. We are also aware that the longer this maintenance is deferred, the worse the state of the building will become.
Our initial quote for repairs was $15,000 but we know we will need to raise more than this. Given that there is further maintenance required on the tea room, anything raised above the requirement for the church, would still be used for the church buildings here at St Stephens.
Donations
Your support is needed. The congregation invite you to help us with our building project.
Cheque: Payable to: Holy Trinity Ngaruawahia
Post: St Stephens Church, c/- R Smart, 26 Willowbrook Lane, R D 8, Hamilton 3288
In person: Come along to a service on Sunday and pop a donation in an envelope on the plate.
Please contact Ruth Smart for internet banking details if needed. Phone: 829 7655 evenings or email ruthsmart@xtra.co.nz
Poll: What do you think should happen with Chateau Tongariro?
The Government has refused to commit to saving the Chateau Tongariro Hotel, leaving demolition, decommissioning or private restoration all on the table despite strong community pressure to preserve the iconic building.
In a formal response to a petition led by Ruapehu District Mayor Weston Kirton, ministers acknowledged the Chateau’s cultural and economic significance but said no changes to current policy or legislation were warranted Chateau Petition response.
What do you think should happen with Chateau Tongariro? Tell us more in the comments (adding NFP if you don't want your words used in print).
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5% Demolish it
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0% Decommission it
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95% A private operator should restore it
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0% Other - explain in the comments
Tamahere home in dentist case was once centre of accountant’s fraud
It’s been a feature in a recent Hamilton District Court trial , but a Tamahere mansion already has an complicated history.
The property in Woodcock Rd - notable for having a hydroslide in the back yard - the scene of now-disproved alleged sexual offending by Hamilton dentist Rahul Gautam - made headlines more than 15 years ago, when it was a focus in the case of accountant Gary Soffe.
Poll: Should the government levy industries that contribute to financial hardship?
As reported in the Post, there’s a $30 million funding gap in financial mentoring. This has led to services closing and mentors stepping in unpaid just to keep helping people in need 🪙💰🪙
One proposed solution? Small levies on industries that profit from financial hardship — like banks, casinos, and similar companies.
So we want to hear what you think:
Should the government ask these industries to contribute?
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60.4% Yes, supporting people is important!
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24.4% No, individuals should take responsibility
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15.2% ... It is complicated
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