![Photo of a drawing of St. Michael's Church, Christchurch [ca. 1885]](https://christchurchcitylibraries.com/Heritage/Photos/Disc12/Thumbnails/IMG0080.jpg)
Design
The present church, the third on the site, was designed by W. F. Crisp and consecrated in 1872. The late Victorian-Gothic church is constructed entirely of matai (native black pine) and the outstanding timber interior of the church contains a significant collection of Victorian and Edwardian memorial stained glass windows by leading English stained glass firms of the day. A number of items contained in the church (such as the stone font), were brought to Christchurch in the first four ships in 1850. Few alterations have been made apart from the removal of a tie-beam and secondary arch in 1896 to improve the view of the east window. St. Michael’s was the pro-Cathedral from 1856 until 1881 and remains one of the largest timber churches of its type in the world.
The belfry
A Christchurch landmark, the St. Michael’s belfry was designed by pre-eminent Gothic Revival architect,Benjamin Woolfield Mountfort. Erected in 1861, the tower houses a bell brought out with the Canterbury Association settlers on one of the first four ships. The bell was the settlement’s first time piece and was rung every hour of daylight. It is still rung for services today.
Surrounding buildings
Other historic buildings on the site include the Gothic Revival inspired school hall, designed by the first Education Board architect Thomas Cane in 1877, and the stone school building, Collegiate Gothic in style, which was designed by noted Canterbury architect Cecil Wood in 1913.
![Old St. Michael's Church, corner of Oxford Terrace and Lichfield Street [ca.1861]](https://christchurchcitylibraries.com/Heritage/Photos/Disc10/thumbnails/img0003.jpg)
Earthquake survivor
The historic wooden church survived the Canterbury earthquake sequence of 2010-2011 almost unscathed and was for a period the only habitable church in use in the central city. The church’s 1872 Bevington three-manual pipe organ was damaged in the 22 February 2011 earthquake and was subsequently removed for repairs and renovation.
The church is open to visitors. Please check the church website for opening hours.
More information
St Michael’s and All Angels Church School
Related pages
- Benjamin Mountfort and the Gothic Revival
- Church and social organisation resources
- Church registers
- St Michael and All Angels Church on Lost Christchurch.
- Church of St Michael and All Angels (Anglican) on Heritage New Zealand List.
- St Michael and All Angels Belfry (Anglican) on Heritage New Zealand List.
- St Michael and All Angels Church 1870 by William Henry Raworth in the Christchurch Art Gallery collection.
Library Resources
- Benjamin Mountfort
- Resources about Mountfort and his architectural designs in the Libraries’ collection.
- St Michael and All Angels
- Resources about St Michael and All Angels Church in the Libraries’ collection.
- Search the Papers Index for newspaper stories
- Stories about St. Michael’s which appeared in The Press, The Christchurch Star and The Star.
Source
This was originally derived from the Christchurch City Council handbook of 1998.
