THANK YOU NEW ZEALAND
FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE SUPPORT WHICH HAS SAVED ST DAVID’S
Saving THE Soldiers’ Memorial Church
Thank you to all who supported the Trust to purchase St David’s. Thanks to your support, the Trust has been able to purchase St David’s to secure its future for the New Zealand public.
Ownership is also only possible thanks to the generosity of thousands of individuals who stepped up to support the cause.
Many thanks to Ted Manson NZMS, Founding Patron of the Trust who stepped in at commercial tender to secure the three properties including St David’s in order to secure the ownership of St David’s for Friends of St David’s Trust.
New Zealand’s living WWI memorial St David’s, the World War One Soldiers’ Memorial Church will live on.
GETTING ON WITH MAINTENANCE
We are currently working to address many years of deferred maintenance. There is much work to be done, restoring lintels, corbels, roofs, windows, replacing 1920s wiring, plumbing, and repairs.
We are grateful for a superb team - professionals and volunteers - who are working to preserve the historic heritage, the character and spirit of St David’s Memorial Church.
Check in on our ‘News’ page for updates, and be sure to find us on Facebook.
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WE STAND
Graham Gibson, Auckland and Regions RSAs President and world renowned opera star Simon O’Neill ONZM stand shoulder-to-shoulder in support of the plan to save the Category A Historic Heritage Place. Simon O’Neill ONZM, who has performed at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, London, says the church building was made for music and uplifting the human spirit. “The atmosphere, acoustics and scale of St David’s create an incredibly valuable opportunity for music in New Zealand. Its location in Auckland - UNESCO City of Music – is fitting.” Both the RSA and the Royal NZ Engineers Charitable Trust have also united to protect the church from possible redevelopment as offices, apartments, bar or nightclub.
“The church was paid for and built as a living memorial to the lives lost in WW1, so it needs to be protected and this purpose written into the deed of sale”
A PLACE FOR MUSIC
Our work over three years of extensive planning and testing has proven St David’s potential as a sustainable and much-needed centre for music. The St David’s Centre - Te Whare Tapere o Hato Rāwiri, can serve the needs of the acoustic music centre as a performance place for choirs, chamber music, soloists and orchestras, as well as providing practice and rehearsal space and mixed-use community facilities.
Our not-for-profit model will keep it accessible and viable as a truly accessible public spaces.
As the St David’s Centre for Music, the unique church building with its glorious Great Hall, exquisite stained glass windows and superb acoustics can continue to provide sanctuary, solace, joy and inspiration.
For further information please contact:
Paul Baragwanath - Chair, Friends of St David’s Trust
contact@saintdavidsfriends.org
Ph 021 521 574
or
Lisa Bates MNZM - Trustee, Friends of St David’s Trust
Ph 021 331 183
ABOUT ST DAVID’S
St David’s was built and dedicated as the Soldiers’ Memorial Church in October 1927 and chosen by the RNZE (Royal New Zealand Engineers) as their church. It holds the Sappers’ Memorial Chapel, RNZE Roles of Honour WWI and WWII and the RNZE Memorial Window.
LEST WE FORGET.