Taupo Anglican Church St Andrew's

Morgan. Alfred Brown travelled as far south as Pukawa from this year onwards, preaching and baptising.

1839 - CMS head Henry Williams pays a first visit to Lake Taupō.

1841 - Rev Brown and Mr Chapman visit Taupō and discover the local Maori believers want bibles, not weapons. A number of Tuwharetoa believers are baptised.

1843 - First NZ Bishop George Selwyn ordains the Rev Seymour Spenser in Taupō as Missionary in-Charge of the Taupō Maori Mission, based at Hallett's Bay whenever he is in the area. Bishop Selwyn confirms 9 Maori previously baptised by Rev Brown. Bishop Selwyn also visits [paramount chief] Te Heu Heu Mananui at Tokaanu. Te Heu Heu is far from pleased that the Rev Spenser’s mission is so far away from the centre of Ngāti Tuwharetoa's main marae, but provides a site for a chapel and house for Spenser whenever he visits Tokaanu.

1847 - Te Manihera and Kereopa, Anglican evangelists from Taranaki, are killed at Turangi.

1850 - Spencer establishes a school and Anglican chapel at Motutere.

1852 - Rotorua missioner Rev Thomas Chapman ordained.

1855 - Taupō Maori Mission led by Rev Thomas and Mrs Agnes Grace - the first Anglican missionaries to live in the Taupō region. To Te Heu Heu Iwikau's pleasure, they are based at Pukawa.

1856 - Grace builds a school at Pukawa [68 students]. The Mission is destroyed by fire. The first mission training farm is purchased.

1859 - Mission boarding school established [31 boarders, 1 teacher].

1863 - During NZ Land Wars, the Taupō Mission is abandoned. Grace moves to Auckland, but continues regular visits to Taupō until his death in 1879.

1888 - The Rotorua Parochial District is established [including Taupō], based at St Luke's Rotorua. Rev F.H Spencer is the first priest in charge. This church ministers mainly to Pākehā. English-language services are occasionally conducted in Taupō School [now Taupō Primary School].

1890 - St James' Church, Nukuhau, opened by the Rotorua Maori Mission.

1892 - Taupo Māori Mission District is established. Priest in Charge is Rev Hoeta te Hata [former assistant to Rev Grace.] Hoeta heads Taupō Māori Mission until 1909.

1908 - St Paul's Anglican Church, Tokaanu, opened by the Taupō Maori Mission.

1909 - Te Whetu Mārama o te Ata Church, Waitetoko, opened by the Taupō Maori Mission.

1911 - St Matthew's Church, Oruanui, opened by the Taupō Maori Mission.

1920s - The Rev A.R.H. Morris resident in Taupō, is taking services in English at Taupō School. Regular worship [in te Rēo Māori] in all Anglican churches led by Rotorua-based Taupō Māori Mission clergy, notably [1927-1931] by the Rev Paora Temuera.

1928 - The first AGM of "Church of England residents in Taupō" held at Taupō School. 11 attended. They discussed the building of a church in the fledgling town. The first of 2 sections was donated by the Rickit family. It was stipulated that the church should be for both Mãori and Pākehā worshippers.

1931 - St Andrew's Church [now the sanctuary, seating 35, costing £200, designed by W.P.Finch of Napier, and named after the patron saint of anglers], opens. Rev Temuera is priest in charge.

1944 - Rev C.G.G. Salt [of the Rotorua Parochial District - Taupō still being part of this] shifts to Taupō and is appointed priest in charge [until 1953].

1954 - Rev Harry Hauwaho Tangohau is appointed Priest in Charge at St Andrew's, Taupō.

1958 - The Parochial District of Taupō [separate from Rotorua] is established. Rev Tangohau first Vicar of Taupō.

1962 - 100-seater extension to St Andrew's Anglican Church is opened.

1999 - 200-seater nave and site redevelopment is opened.