In October 1842 Bishop Selwyn established an Anglican presence in Taranaki, by obtaining a Crown grant for the land on which the Taranaki Cathedral of St Mary’s church, the oldest stone church in New Zealand, now stands. Selwyn’s intention was to set up a Diocese of Taranaki with its own bishop. However, it was to be many decades before this came to fruition. On 6 March 2010, the church was consecrated as the Cathedral Church of St Mary, reflecting the role it has in relation to the ministry of the Bishop of Taranaki and that it is a sacred place for all the people of Taranaki.
The extensive archive has recently been arranged and catalogued. It covers the period from 1855 to 2005 and includes parochial trust board records and correspondence dating from the 1850s, offertory registers from the 1860’s, 20th century parish diaries and the records of associated churches such as St Brides and St Aiden’s as well as allied groups such as Mother’s Union, Young Wives Fellowship and Girl’s Friendly Society. The baptism, marriage and burial registers are still with the parish.
These parish records are at the John Kinder Theological Library as part of the records of the Diocese of Waikato which are on deposit here.
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