Parirau Church Restoration

This church has been an icon for the Pairau, Matakohe, Ruawai (Kaipara) communities since 1889. It has been a place of worship, celebration and admiration for many years. Many people have personal memories of this church but it now sadly sits in a desperate state of disrepair. It is our dream to one day restore it to its former glory but for now we need to do repairs to stop it deteriorating further. The Parirau Church Restoration Committee is asking for your help.

History:

The Parirau Zion (Hiona) Church was built in1889 as an Anglican church to serve a community of settlers who had migrated to the area to dig kauri gum. It's understood that there was massive community spirit and a beautiful blend of two tribes Te Rarawa and Te Uri o Hau, Ngāti Whatua (mana whenua). This was recorded earlier in history, circa 1860 'The Arrival of the Rarawa’, the drifting canoe of the Rarawa, a peaceful penetration unparalleled in Māori history'.

As their second church on the site in Parirau, it replaced an earlier structure made of nikau. Mr Morris was commissioned to build the church. The total cost of the building and fittings was about £200. Sometime after 1921 the church became a Ratana place of worship used for service, weddings, and unveilings.

Restoration:

Right now, priorities are for remedial repairs, then later looking at re-blocking and re-roofing to enable it to be brought back into use. This will be followed by joinery and weatherboard repairs, repainting and site access works.