Archives



Welcome to the Archives of the Anglican Diocese of Christchurch

Location:

Anglican Centre, Allan Pyatt House, 153 Hereford Street, Christchurch

Open:

Each Wednesday 10.30am-12.30pm and 1.00pm-4.30pm

Archives Holiday Closure 2008-2009

 

The Christchurch Anglican Diocesan Archives

will be closed to the public on the following days:

 

Wednesdays:

24 December

31 December

7 January

14 January

 

Research:

Can be undertaken in person or by contacting the Archivist at
P O Box 4438 Christchurch
Fax: 03-379- 5954
Email: archives@chch.ang.org.nz

Charges: 

There is no charge if research is undertaken in person, but donations are always welcome. Written research charges are $30.00 per hour, charged in 20 minute time periods.

Photocopies of Baptism, Marriage and Burial records are available at $10.00 each. Reductions are available for 3 or more records at any one time.

Photocopying is at the discretion of the archivist.

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Coverage 

The Diocese of Christchurch covers the area shown on the location map.
Details of specific Diocesan boundary changes are as follows:

 

The area now known as the Diocese of Christchurch was originally part of the Diocese of New Zealand. With the arrival of the twenty Canterbury Association ships from 1850-1852, and their chaplains, the Diocesan records are held locally. The first Bishop of the Diocese arrived in December 1856.

1856-1868

The Diocese included the area now known as the Diocese of Dunedin.
These records of Otago and Southland parishes are held in the Hocken Library, Dunedin www.library.otago.ac.nz

1868-1990

The area bounded by the Waitaki River in the south, and the Hurinui River in the South, and the West Coast, including Kumara, Hokitika and Ross and South Westland.

1990

The Parishes of Cheviot, Amuri and Hanmer Springs were transferred from the Diocese of Nelson.

2000

The Parish of Kumara, which had been ministered to by Greymouth for many years was formally transferred to the Diocese of Nelson

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Bishops of the Diocese

1856-1890 Henry John Chitty Harper

1890-1925

Churchill Julius

1926- 1951

Campbell West West-Watson

1951-1966

Alwyn Keith Warren

1966-1983

William Alan Pyatt

1984-1990

Maurice John Goodall

1990-2008

David John Coles

2008- Victoria Matthews

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Parish Records

The archives hold records from the following Parishes or Former parishes. Where boundaries have changed, information may be found in an adjoining Parish. Previous Parishes are indicated in italics

Addington  
Akaroa see Akaroa- Banks Peninsula
Akaroa-Banks Peninsula Previously two separate districts. Various boundary changes - see also Mt Herbert and Governor's Bay
Amberley  
Amuri Co-operating Transferred from the Diocese of Nelson in 1990
Some records still held in Nelson
Ashburton  
Avonhead Divided from Upper Riccarton- Yaldhurst
Avonside  
Banks Peninsula see Akaroa-Banks Peninsula
Barrington Street combined with Hoon Hay see South West Christchurch
Belfast -Redwood previously known as Belfast with Marshland
Bishopdale Previously attached to Papanui
Burwood Previously known as New Brighton and originally part of Avonside
Cashmere Part of Sydenham until
Cathedral  
Chatham Islands attached to Kumara and Lyttelton at various times
Cheviot Transferred from the Diocese of Nelson in 1990.
Some Records are still held in Nelson
Christchurch- St Luke also known as St Luke the Evangelist, the first city parish to be divided from Christchurch- St Michael
Christchurch - St Michael also known as St Michael and All Angels
This parish was the original Parish of Christchurch
Cust see Oxford-Cust
Ellesmere previously two districts Ellesmere/Leeston and Southbridge
Fairlie see MacKenzie Co-operating
Glenmark see Glenmark- Waikari
Glenmark-Waikari previously two separate districts, Glenmark and Waikari
Governor's Bay see Lyttelton and West Lyttelton
Halswell see Halswell- Prebbleton, has been attached to other parishes for brief periods at various times
Halswell- Prebbleton previously two separate districts, Halswell and Prebbleton
Hanmer Springs transferred form the Diocese of Nelson in 1990
Some records are still held in Nelson
Heathcote- Mt Pleasant The Heathcote portion of this parish was previously part of a larger one which included Woolston and Opawa
Highfield previously part of St Mary's Timaru
Hinds Co-operating  
Hokitika  
Hoon Hay see South West Christchurch
Hornby includes Templeton and was previously part of Prebbleton
Kaiapoi  
Kumara transferred to the Diocese of Nelson in 2000.
Records are still held in Diocese of Christchurch
Linwood previously part of Avonside
Lincoln  
Little River previously a parish and also at various times part of Banks Peninsula and Governor's Bay. Now in Mt Herbert
Lyttelton previously Lyttelton and West Lyttelton. West Lyttelton divided between Lyttelton and Governor's Bay. The latter is now part of Mt Herbert
Malvern  
MacKenzie Co-operating previously Fairlie, originally part of an area which also included Geraldine and Te Ngawai
Mayfield- Mt Somers  
Methven  
Mt Herbert includes parts of Little River, Governor's Bay and West Lyttelton
New Brighton Burwood previously known as New Brighton, North New Brighton previously part of this parish
North New Brighton previously part of New Brighton
Opawa Heathcote, Woolston and Opawa were originally one parish
Otaio-Bluecliffs see St Andrews Co-operating
Oxford see Oxford-Cust
Oxford-Cust previously two separate districts, Oxford and Cust
Papanui previously included Bishopdale
Phillipstown Transferred to Te Pihopatanga o e Aotearoa ki Te Waipounamu, records retained
Prebbleton see Halswell Prebbleton
Rakaia  
Rangiora includes some Woodend records
Riccarton- St James  
Riccarton- St Peter see Upper Riccarton -Yaldhurst
Ross and South Westland  
St Albans  
St Andrews Co-operating previously Otaio-Bluecliffs
St Martins  
Shirley  
Southbridge see Ellesmere
South West Christchurch previously two parishes, Hoon Hay and Barrington Street
Spreydon  
Sumner- Redcliffs Sumner previously part of Heathcote Parish
Sydenham- Beckenham included Cashmere until
Temuka originally part of a larger area which included Te Ngawai, Geraldine and Fairlie
Te Ngawai originally part of a larger area which included Temuka, Geraldine and Fairlie
Timaru previously included Highfield and Marchweil
Tuahiwi has at various times been part of Kaiapoi, Woodend and Rangiora
Upper Riccarton- Yaldhurst also known as St Peter's Upper Riccarton
Waiho Co-operating  
Woodend some records are held with Rangiora
Woolston originally part of a larger area which included Heathcote and Opawa.

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Parish Records which are not held in the Christchurch Anglican Diocesan Archives

 

Bryndwyr
Burnside
Christchurch- St John
Fendalton
Geraldine
Hororata
Kensington- Otipua
Marchweil
Parklands Co-operating
Pukaki Co operating
Tinwald
Waimate

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Parish Records usually, but not always include:

  • Baptism Registers
  • Marriage Registers sometimes with associated Banns Books
  • Burial Records sometimes with associated with Cemetery Plot Books
  • Confirmation Records, duplicates after 1890 are held in Diocesan Papers
  • Service Registers also known as Vestry Books
  • Vestry Minutes
  • Correspondence
  • Financial Records
  • Parish Organisations eg Mother's Union, Association of Anglican Women, Ladies Guilds, Youth
  • Groups, Sports Groups, Church of England Men's Society, Servers,
  • Flower Guilds
  • Parish Magazines and Pew Sheets
  • Photographs

Pamphlets to Explain Records held in the Diocesan Archives - downloadable

Adobe Acrobat DocumentParish Registers
Adobe Acrobat Document: 163 KB, 24 seconds @ 56kbps
       

Adobe Acrobat DocumentParish Records
Adobe Acrobat Document: 732 KB, 107 seconds @ 56kbps
    

Adobe Acrobat DocumentWest Coast Records
Adobe Acrobat Document: 5.74 MB, 14.3 minutes @ 56kbps

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Other Collections held in the Diocesan Archives

Church Property Trustees Correspondence and Minute Books: 1850 onwards

This collection includes some material relating to the foundation of the Diocese in a small collection of Canterbury Association Papers. Additional Canterbury Association papers can be found in Archives New Zealand, Christchurch Office and the Hocken Library Dunedin www.library.otago.ac.nz

Diocesan Correspondence: 1850 onwards

Each of these major collections have associated material, centred around organisations which have existed for varying period of time for example

  • Anglican Bible Class Union
  • Christchurch Diocesan Council for Women's Ministry
  • Clerical Pension Board (Christchurch Diocese only)
  • Diocesan Board of Education and its successor the Diocesan Board of Christian Education
  • Mother's Union and the Association of Anglican Women
  • Sunday School Association

The Social Services Council, and its successor, Anglican Care have a large collection of material with in the archives. Those which are of particular interest are the Records of St Saviour's Home which included the Timaru Boys' Home. These records date from to and are restricted, and require a written request and consultation with the Diocesan Manager.

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Publications

Crockford's Clerical Directories:
an incomplete set which covers the period 1869- onwards, includes clergy world wide

New Zealand Clerical Directory
These began in 1945, a complete set from 1947 onwards

The Church Quarterly Paper (indexed)

The Church Magazine ( indexed)

The New Zealand Church News 1871-1946 ( indexed for Diocese of Christchurch only) Based in Christchurch, but includes news from throughout New Zealand and overseas.

Church and People 1947- 1973 ( 1947-52 indexed) covers the whole of New Zealand

The Anglican 1980-1984 Diocese of Christurch

The Square Peg 1985-1989 Diocese of Christchruch

Anglican Action 1989 onwards Diocese of Christchurch


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Parish Histories

Most parishes in the Diocese have written histories, and these are available to read. In some instances histories of particular churches and have been written.

The original Parishes in the Diocese covered considerable areas, so material relating to the beginning of any particular parish, may be found in those which are currently adjacent to it.

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Introduction
Charges
Archival coverage
Bishops of the Diocese
Parish Records held
Parish Records not held
What can be found?Pamphlets to Explain Records held in the Diocesan Archives
Other Collections held
Parish Histories
Publications
The Harper Book