Genealogy Book Reviews

Book reviews of new Genealogy books, Heritage and Research, Rotorua Library

Manorial Records for family historians: with examples of how to identify and locate your ancestor’s property by Geoffrey Barber (929.341 BAR). This fascinating little book gives an overview of the manorial system under which many of our British forebears lived. As tenants of the manor there were rules and customs expected of them, along with loyalty to the “Lord of the Manor”. The author explains, with examples from his own family, how Manorial records work and how they can be accessed. The advantage for genealogists is the wealth of information held, from church records to lines of descent and inheritances, along with a glimpse into a former way of life.

To trace or not to trace: a family history overview for the curious by Carol Baxter (929.102 BAX).  Particularly useful for those who are just beginning their family history search, this guide is full of humour and cartoons, along with charts and lots of information on how to get started. It discusses information we may already have, such as photos and anecdotal stories, along with discussions on sources family historians use to discover records such as birth, death and marriage certificates, migration records, census papers.

It’s all relative: adventures up and down the world’s family tree by A. J. Jacobs (929.1 JAC) When  Jacobs was approached via email by “an eighth cousin of your wife”, he began a journey delving into family tree building. His experiences lead to the interconnectedness of all humans, distant relatives and family reunions. Although not a how-to guide, it could be called a why-to guide. Touching on DNA, websites other than Ancestry.com, Jacobs also takes us on journeys meeting family and discovering connections in a readable, enjoyable way.

Further new titles that may be of interest include:

It’s not all online: a guide to genealogy sources offline by Shauna Hicks (929.1072 HIC)

Discover the Poor Law in England and Wales by Paul Blake ( 929.1072 BLA)

MyHeritage…my story: explore the lives of your ancestors and discover your family’s history by Rosemary Kopittke (929.1 KOP)

ScotlandsPeople: the place to launch your Scottish research by Rosemary Kopittke (929.3411 KOP)

Papers Past: New Zealand’s yesteryear newspapers by Coral Shearer (929.1072 SHE)

A beginner’s guide to British and Irish genealogy by Christ Paton (929.1072 PAT)

DNA for genealogists by Kerry Farmer (929.1072 FAR)

Australians in peril: tracing your World War Two Australian military ancestors by Neil C. Smith (929.1072 SMI)

The Genealogy do-over workbook: get your genealogy and family research back on track and still have fun by Thomas MacEntee (929.1072 MAC)

The Family Tree Cemetery Field guide: how to find, record, & preserve your ancestors’ graves by Joy Neighbours (929.1072 NEI)

Church Time Line Rotorua 1831-1981

Rotorua Churches 1831-1981

• Missionaries 1831-1880
• Te Koutu Mission Station c.1835. Anglican/CofE
• Mokoia Island Mission Station c.1838. Anglican/CofE
• Te Ngae Mission Station c.1843 Anglican/CofE
• Te Mu c.1845-1861– Anglican/Church of England.

• St Joachim c.1847 - Roman Catholic, Pukeroa Hill

• Te Mapou, Tapuaekura  (Lake Rotoiti) c.1850-

• St Faith’s c.1880 – Anglican, Muruika Peninsula

• Baptist Mission, Te Wairoa 1882-1886

• St Michael’s c.1890 – Roman Catholic, Ohinemutu /St Michael's – new church built around old one Feb 1964- see Photo News 15 Feb 1964 pg. 3
• New school built behind Convent c.1903. 

• Salvation Army c.1891-1955 – Arawa Street approx.  80 Arawa Street  (becomes new Palace Tavern c.1966)

• Red Shield Hut c.1914-1943, Soldier’s Institute – Arawa Street, possibly 81 or 83 (new McGill’s 1954)
• Salvation Army c.1956 - 271 Old Taupo Road
• New Citadel 1987 a Lockwood Building at 271 Old Taupo Road.

• St Joseph’s c.1892 – Near Taheke

• St John’s c.1896-1988 – Pukuatua Street, Presbyterian 
• Trinity Presbyterian Church c.1901– current at Mamaku 
• Trinity Presbyterian Church c 1950 – 13 School Rd, Ngongotaha.
• St John’s in the City – c.1989-2017 Cnr. Ranolf & Victoria Streets 
• St John’s on Fenton c.2017- at 276 Fenton Street (to be rebuilt Cnr. Ranolf & Victoria)

• St Luke’s c.1899-1973 – Haupapa Street, Anglican
• St Luke’s c.1975-Present – Cnr Pukuatua & Amohia Streets
• St Andrew’s-St David’s Presbyterian, c.1958-c.2014. Cnr Devon and Old Taupo Rd.
• Also known as St Andrew’s on the Roundabout.

• St Mary of the Cross c.1904 – Whakarewarewa, Anglican. – Renamed Te Arawa Church.
• Church of the Immaculate Conception c.1904 – Whakarewarewa, Roman Catholic.

• Bainbridge Memorial Church c.1906-1982 Hinemoa Street, United Methodist.
• Bainbridge Methodist Church c.1986- Old Taupo Road
• Methodist at Mamaku,  see c.1908.
• St Joseph’s at Owhata (Roman Catholic Church) c.1907, and St Joseph’s at Mamaku.
• Father Kreymbourg built these two churches himself.
• St Michael’s at Mamaku c.1912, 1925. St Joseph’s (1933-1986) The Catholic Church at Mamaku is blown off its piles in a severe storm. DP 11.7. 1986.

• Methodist Church at Mamaku c.1908- Mr Souster and his brother-in-law build the first.

• St Peter’s on the Rock c.1911-2017 – Mamaku, Anglican.

• Church of the Immaculate Conception.  c.1915–c.2012. 27 Taui St, Ngongotaha.  Used by Oasis Church c.2008-2012. Church demolished c2013.

• St Barnabas c 1924– (16 School Road) Ngongotaha [initially used by all denominations needing a church hall in Ngongotaha.]

• Chapel of Ease c.1926-c.1959? At the St Joseph’s Convent – Ranolf Street
• See St Mary’s Church 1954.
• New Convent on Carnot Street opened 1959.

• Devon Street Hall – c.1928- Cnr. Fenton & Devon Streets – Church of England
• St Chad’s (c.1982-Present.  St Chad’s Charitable Trust.)

St Chad's c.1920's  Cnr. Devon and Fenton Streets.
Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 4-6217' 

• St Peter’s c.1933 - Owhata Marae, Anglican

• Bethesda Chapel c.1934-1955 – 36 Eruera Street, Brethren
• Ranolf Street Gospel Chapel, c.1957-1970 – Ranolf Street.
• Fenton Park Gospel Chapel, c. 1970- Cnr Ward & Hilda Streets. [Fenton Park Bible Church]
• Roosevelt Road Gospel Chapel – c.1969 - 5 Roosevelt Road, Western Heights.
• See New Heights c.2005-2007. Reverts to Roosevelt Rd Bible Church.
• Mamaku Brethren c.1960's-2008/09?

Fenton Park Gospel Chapel in construction
Rotorua Photonews 9 May 1970 pg.2

• St Paul’s c.1935 – 28 Church Road, Ngapuna. (Anglican) Consecrated by Bishop of Aotearoa 30th June 1935.

• Baptist c.1939 – a visiting Minister from Putaruru came to Rotorua to hold services until…
• 1^st Church, officially opened c.1945 – 100 Malfroy Road.
• Baptist (new church) next to old one, opened 9.2.1978 see Daily Post for story.

• Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormon) c.1930's – New church opened c.1960 - 10 Rimu Street.

• St Mary’s Catholic Church, 1954-1984 - Ranolf Street.
• New Church plans, for a new building/renovation of the 1954 church in 1984.

• St Mary’s Anglican Church, c.1954 at Horohoro Marae.  Either Kearoa or Rongomaipapa

• Kingdom Hall c.1956-2004–Jehovah’s Witness – 303 Fenton Street.
• Kawaha Point Kingdom Hall 1995-
• Ngongotaha Congregation c1990-
• c.2004- Kingdom Hall – moved out of Fenton street to new church 250 Vaughan Road.

• St Columba Presbyterian Hall, c.1958-c.1993 at 155-157 Clayton Road. [A church was to be moved here from Tauranga in 1982.]

• Wesleyan Methodist Church c. 1959-1980. At 219 Clayton Road [church used by other denominations since 1980]

• Methodist Church – 1962 - Ngongotaha (see also previous one at Mamaku 1939) 

• The Apostolic Church : (also known as Bethel Temple) – c.1961-1984. 70 Malfroy Road (included Bible College c.1966)
• Rotorua Apostolic Life Centre 1984-c.1995: 1 Maisey Place
• 46 Hinemoa Street  c.1996 - Cnr Tutanekai & Pukaki Streets c.1998 - Lake City Church 
• Destiny c.2005-

• Christian Science Society c.1961 – does not have own building until c.1972-1977. Cnr Old Taupo Rd and Konene Street.

• St David’s Presbyterian c.1963-current at Reeve Road, Owhata.

• St Francis Church c.1963-1970's is used by Western Heights Play Centre 1970's, 13 Thomas Crescent (Anglican)
• St Francis Whanau Aroha Day Care.  c.2000-current at 13 Thomas Crescent.   

• All Saints Hall c1963–sold-c2017. 223 Malfroy Road, Anglican. [also used by other denominations for church services.]

• Lutheran Church c.1967–c1999 89 Sunset Road [now a Daycare Centre]

• Church of the Good Shepherd c1970– Awahou – non denominational - Ngati Rangiwewehi Marae.

• Seventh - day Adventist c.1950- 6 Tilsley Street – school opens 1965.
• Seventh - day Adventist, c.1970-current. (New church) 311 Fenton Street.
• Samoan-Tokelauan Seventh-day Adventist c.2016-current, 274 Old Taupo Rd
• Maranatha Seventh - day Adventist c2014-current, in Old St Andrews Church, Old Taupo Road

• Baha’i Faith - c.1975-c.1979, 1984-current.  

• Assembly of God, c.1972-1992 – 14 Gibson Street, Fenton Park.
• Assembly of God c.1986-current at 20-40 Biak Street 
• Samoan Independent Assembly of God. c.1977–2006.  274 Old Taupo Road.

• St Paul’s c.1975 – Ngakuru (was St Bride’s from Auckland) Presbyterian - becomes Christ’s Church (shared between Anglican, Roman Catholic and Presbyterian congregations). Services were held in the School Hall c.1927 and 1950's.

• Bible Baptist Church.  c.1978-current 55-71 Pukehangi Rd. [Church built c.1980's]

With thanks to the Don Stafford Collection, Papers Past and Rotorua Library Photonews collection, Who's Who in Rotorua and Rotorua Phone Directory collections.

Bainbridge Memorial Methodist Church

1st Methodist Church of Rotorua c.1906-current

Methodist’s didn’t arrive in Rotorua until c.1904 and the first church built here was on Hinemoa Street on Crown Lease land, officially opened 16^th December  1906 was dedicated to Edwin Bainbridge who died at Te Wairoa as a result of the Tarawera Eruption.  

Services began by Rev. A.J. Seamer with a congregation of 8. 

The Methodist’s went on to build a church hall at Mamaku c1908 An advert in the NZH says that the Presbyterian Church in Mamaku offered to buy  the church and section from them in c1936 for approximately £50, this however fell through and the church was removed to a new site in Ngongotaha in 1939.

The Bainbridge Memorial Methodist Church was added to in 1909 with a ‘leanto social room’ another renovation in 1938 a new church hall. An organ was presented to the church by Mrs D.J. Skene in memory of her husband and her sister. Dedication of the organ took place on April 19^th 1938.

The new hall was dedicated in May 1939. Further extensions were required by 1954 and these were duly opened by Lady Patricia Norrie, wife of the Governor-General, as the church commemorates her cousin, Edwin Bainbridge. The President of the Methodist Conference, the Rev. H.L. Fiebig of Christchurch and the minister of the church, Rev. G.V. Thomas were present along with a large crowd. The reason for the ceremony was also to commemorate the 50^th jubilee of the church in Rotorua.

In 1959 a new Methodist Church was built on Clayton Road, Western Heights. It was called the ‘Wesley Church’. The Rev. Wm Isitt and his wife were the first to minister here in the suburbs. It was closed and sold in 1980.

In 1962 the Hinemoa Street church was enlarged again and a car port and large entrance room. They required an additional seating area for 80 people. A dedication service was held 15^th Sept. 1962. At this time the church had also purchased the ‘quarter acre freehold’ property next door for future expansion and to prevent becoming built in”.  In 1969 the Rotorua Methodist Circuit bought what was Woolliams Shoprite supermarket, with upstairs offices, and an adjoining carpark.

Photograph taken during build of State Insurance new office block 1964.
With thanks to Ray Cook for this photograph.

However the need for a more modern facility became apparent and the church on Hinemoa Street was demolished 1^st June 1982. The site of the 1^st Methodist Church in Rotorua became the block of shops next to the State Insurance building (1964) [now Quest Apartments].  The building was named after Rev. Bernard Chrystall.

With thanks to Don Stafford Collection, Papers Past and The Bainbridge Church story : a sketch of the history of Methodist witness in Rotorua, New Zealand and the story of the Bainbridge Memorial Church from its planning to its demolition in 1982 / Dawson, J. B. (John Brant), 1915-2000.

The new Bainbridge Church was built on Old Taupo Road and remains there today.

St John's Presbyterian Church, Rotorua.

Rotorua's 1st Presbyterian Church

From c.1892 Presbyterian services were held at the hall (Pukeroa) and various hotels and the school with visiting clergy until St John’s Church was built in 1896 on Pukuatua Street. 

Mrs Anne Robertson was a stalwart support for the faith in Rotorua from the time of her arrival along with Mrs Hall, Mrs Purcell, Mr F. Scott, Mr G. Thompson, H. McFadyen, H. Ross, Duncan Steele and J. Dalbeth.  

Ann Robertson laid the foundation stone on 31^st October 1896, and the official opening took place on 7 February 1897 the Rev. R. Sommerville taking the morning service and Rev. D Ross the second service at 3pm followed by Rev. R. Sim in the evening at 7pm.

Published in New Zealand Herald 9th February 1923
With thanks to Papers Past

Rev. Donald Ross was the appointed minister for the first year but after that St John’s had no permanent minister for some time so the church was supplied with visiting ministers from the Auckland Presbytery. By 1901 the congregation and committee voted to offer a resident minister a stipend of £150 per annum and a manse.

However the first Manse was not built until 1904 and Rev. F. Stubbs and family arrived in October of that year. Sadly in March 1905 Mrs Stubbs died and the Rev. was left to carry on with his daughter as church organist. Finally in June 1906 Rev. Stubbs tendered his resignation and left Rotorua in March 1907.

After Rev. Stubbs left the Manse was rented out on a temporary basis, in April 1907. Unfortunately the Manse was burnt down in a suspicious fire on 13 July 1907, this did not deter the Committee and a new Manse was built by March 1908.

Published in Nelson Evening Mail 13th July 1907
With thanks to Papers Past.

Rev. Thomas Scott arrived to take up the ministry in early 1908. A tennis court was built behind the church in 1910 after a number of ladies had petitioned the committee to “combine the social with the spiritual, and to help keep our young people together”.

New responsibilities came when the Waikato Presbytery constituted the new “home mission district of Rotorua Outfields” with Mamaku as its centre. Mr Ernest Kedgley was appointed Home Mission Agent and he conducted services at Mamaku, Putaruru, Lichfield, Selwyn’s Mill, Te Pu, and Kaharoa.

St John’s Presbyterian Church continued in the same Pukuatua Street location with a number of different ministers.

Proud to be the church of choice for the reigning Monarch Queen Elizabeth II and Duke of Edinburgh along with members of the staff on 3 January 1954, the Rev. Mr A. Salmond presiding and HRH Prince Phillip participated in the service by reading from the Bible, from the book of Isaiah and from the book of Luke.  

All of the above information and much more can be read in the book “Step out in faith : a centennial history of St John’s Presbyterian Church, Rotorua 1896-1996/ by Phyllis Potter.