Saint Paul’s Memorial Church in Anaua Street, Putiki, Whanganui, was consecrated by Bishop F.A. Bennett on 5 December 1937. The fifth church on the site, it was built as a memorial to the men and women who had served the Anglican Church since the first mission had been established on the site in 1841.
The church’s exterior is plain and conventional, but its interior is a rich mixture of Māori carvings and art. On 22 December 1963 Governor-General Sir Bernard Fergusson unveiled a framed and hand-lettered memorial cross at the church in memory of both Māori and Europeans from the Aotea-Kurahaupo district who gave their lives during both world wars. It was dedicated by Rev. Keith Elliott VC.
The memorial cross is displayed in the church porch. Beneath it is a memorial plaque to Te Teira and Henare Metekingi, both killed in action during the First World War.
Sources: ‘Memorial Church: Consecration at Putiki’, NZ Herald, 6/12/1937, p. 12; ‘Memorial Cross Dedicated’, Auckland Star, 23/12/1963; Saint Paul’s Anglican Memorial Church, Putiki, Wanganui, New Zealand, Wanganui, [1970]; Bill McKay, Worship: A History of New Zealand Church Design, Auckland, 2015, pp. 140-3
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