Before the church of St Mary existed in Gordonton/Hukanui, Archdeacon Cowie arrived on horseback once a month to take a service in the old Gordonton Hall. Later the services were held in the Old school on Piako Road.
The Mission was run by a loyal group of Anglicans including Marama Puhipuhi. The local ngati Wairere were taught English and the Gospel was preached to them. Archdeacon Raiti came from Ngaruawahia to lead services in Maori for them as well.
Saint Mary’s was built as a combined effort of the Anglican community of Gordonton and the ngati Wairere of Hukanui. Once a sum of 500 pounds was raised, the church was built and completed in 1934 with no money owing, as was stipulated by Bishop Cecil Arthur Cherrington. This was no mean feat during the Depression.
Architect Frederick Daniells was commissioned to design St Mary’s, and he did so in the Gothic Revival style. It is one of very few double brick buildings to be made, and is built from Huntly brick. Before its construction, Bishop Cherrington advised that he did not want a stained glass window in the east end, as he thought it may distract parishioners from listening to sermons! The congregation voted against this, and went ahead and installed a beautiful Rose window. The main window of the west wall features Perpendicular Gothic tracery and stained glass patterns featuring a red cross.
The foundation stone was laid by Bishop Cherrington on the 4th March 1934 and St Mary’s was consecrated later that year in July, assisted by Archdeacon Hori Raiti.
Shortly after the church was consecrated, Sunday School was also held, led by Mercia Carswell and then by Alison Drummond.
The first Wedding held in St Mary’s was for Dudley and Lilian Cleland. The first funeral held was for J.B Maunder (1875-1936) who had made the church pews. Mr Maunder had also made and presented the church’s prie-dieu (prayer desk).
Roman Catholics used the church once a month in 1968 and 1969.
Saint Mary’s was served fortnightly by locum priests from Hamilton’s St Peter’s Cathedral and then from St Alban’s church in Hamilton, until 2004 when Archbishop David Moxon appointed The Reverend Rosemary Carey to go to St Mary’s to build the dwindling congregation up. In 2006 Saint Mary’s became a Mission District parish in its own right, with Rev Carey as its first Vicar.
Rev Carey left in 2012, and in 2013 The Reverend David Smithson was inducted as the second Vicar of Saint Mary’s.
The church building was closed in 2019 to 2023 while it was deemed a seismic risk, and strengthening work carried out, meanwhile while the parish worshipped in the nearby Old School Rooms, until reopening of St Mary’s church in September 2023.
There are a few commemorative plaques and items around the church to mark various anniversaries:
The birch tree close to the vestry was planted on the 25th Anniversary. Two more trees were planted for the 50th (and a plaque inside the church for this event by bishop Brian Davis). Our beautiful icon of Mary and Jesus was presented by bishop David Moxon for the 70th Anniversary, and a votive candlestand marks the 80th Anniversary by bishop Helen-Ann Hartley. For the 90th Anniversary a Yew tree was planted, blessed by bishop David Moxon.
Some of the history of St Mary’s is held in archives at Hamilton Public Library, and some are kept in the vestry room of the church.