Opening St George's Chapel, 1929
ADDITIONS TO ST. MATTHEW'S.
ARTISTIC DECORATIONS
The additions to St. Matthew's Church which were consecrated by His Lordship the Bishop of Wellington on Sunday last bring the church as it was built in 1911-12 stage nearer completion.
The new Vestry is built of brick and provides most necessary accommodation. The line externally are simple and direct; brick, pilasters at the corners with moulded brick cornice, remove any feeling of "squareness," and the whole tucks comfortably into the corner left for it in the original plan. The coping and window dressings are of white Oamaru stone. The larger window, of floral design, is the Hosking Memorial Window, which was translated from the original wooden Church to the choir of the new Church. It has again been moved, modified slightly this time, and now rests in its new and final setting. The Vestry has been provided with ample cupboards and a miniature strong room which will be a fireproof repository for church documents and records.
The St. George's Memorial Chapel is the larger and more important of the two additions. It also is built of brick, but although it differs somewhat in style from the older parts, it is definitely part and parcel of the Church. It is well lit by large windows with Oamaru stone mullions which develop at the top into tracery, somewhat reminiscent of the English Decorated period of Gothic architecture. An oriel window has been pushed out at the east end, making a special recess for the Communion Table and adding considerably to the space within the Sanctuary. Two small openings have been provided at the sides of the oriel to take the Bennett Memorial Windows. By the formation of "squint arches", the slope of the oriel sides is counteracted and clear views of the stained glass are obtained..
Externally, the brick corbel-table which crowns the walls of the rest of the church has been modified, and a moulded Oamaru stone cornice has been added. A brick parapet with a stone-coping takes the place of overhanging eaves found elsewhere in the Church. The cornice is enriched at intervals with floral carvings and grotesque faces.
For the present, the main feature of the interior is the open timbered roof. It may be described tie-beam roof with posts supporting an arched ceiling. The general colour is pleasant brown, not too dark in tone. The ends of the beams are connected by a wooden cornice, surmounted by a cresting of dentils, and enriched by carved and painted flowers and leaves. The tints used are pure primary colours. for it has been found that these and these only show up clearly in the diffused light admitted by stained glass windows. The small paneled ceiling in the oriel has the richest colouring and forms a fitting canopy to the Altar below. Richly carved and painted leaves and flowers are placed in a firmament of blue, studded with a sun and moon and a multitude of golden stars. The lower part of the Chapel is at present unfinished, for it was wisely thought better to leave a portion in- complete than to attempt to spread the funds available over a greater area and sacrifice the quality of the work for quantity. A framed drawing near the entrance to the Chapel shows what will be the appearance of the interior when finished Oak panelling to a height of about seven feet will line the walls, the part around the Altar being very richly carved. The archways to the Choir and Transept will be filled by open traceried screens which will give the Chapel a certain amount of privacy and seclusion, but yet not so much as would appear to cut it off entirely from the parent building.
The sketches and designs for the new work were drawn by Mr R. S. D. Harman, architest, of Christchurch. The carvings in wood and stone stand as witnesses to the skill of Mr F. G. Gurnsey. The additions were erected by Messrs Judd and Russell, of Masterton, and their sub-contractors.
The Vicar (the Rev. W. Bullock), members of the Vestry and others concerned are to be congratulated on the success of their efforts to add to, and help towards completion, the task commenced by their predecessors. It is to be hoped that it will not be very long before the necessary sum--approximately £650 is raised, to complete this latest addition, work of a kind unique in New Zealand, and which forms a definite step towards making St. Matthew's worthy to be the future Cathedral Church of the Wairarapa.