Nestled on a small hill just around the corner from Ahipara township and bay is this little wee gem. St Clement's Anglican Church and cemetery dates back to around 1873 and was named "Pukemiro" after the hill that is stands on.
As per an old Maori story this area was chosen as a sacred burial spot for Poroa who was the Chief of Te Rawara - he lived here when times were peaceful. Most of the graves are from the 1800s with a few of them surrounded by old iron fencing.
Inside everything looks quite tidy, humble and well looked after. The church itself was built by local Maoris named Inoka Tutangiora, Rapata Wharawhara and Kihirini Te Morenga under the guidance of Richard Matthews who was the son of Joseph Matthews (part of the Missionary Society).
The view from the top steps next to the church looks out over miles of farmland. In 2012 restoration committee of the church were looking for funding to restore the church, I'd say since then alot of work has been done quite tastefully. After sharing these photos on Facebook I had a few people tell me their Tupuna (ancestors) were buried there.
Linking up with Our World Tuesday and My corner of the world.
16 comments:
An interesting find. Glad they are going to restore the church. So much history wrapped up in that churchyard.
What a wondeful old church, so well cared for
I prefer small churches likes this much more than the Gothic giant ones.
It certainly is a pretty church!
Just lovely!
What a wonderful old church. Great that you could go inside and take photos
Even though we lived in the north for over 40 years that is a church I have often seen butnever been inside. Thanks for sharing.
New Zealand is a beautiful country. - Margy
What a beauty! I so love everything about this post...love the view surrounding the church, and love the interior!
Looks like a lovely old church - nice shots!
What a beautiful spot. That first photo is just gorgeous with the church peeking out at the top of the hill.
Beautiful - old cemeteries have their charm.
Such a beautiful church in a serene and lovely part of the world.
A very pretty church.
I do love finding these little places, thanks for sharing it with us.
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My Corner of the World
St Clement's is the loveliest little church up there on the hill Amy. Such a beautiful spot with those views. So good to hear it is still loved and looked after ✨
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