About St Mary's, Whitby
St Mary's was established soon after the Whitby residential development began in 1970.
The original church was located further north along Discovery Drive on the opposite side of the road from the present church. This church was transported from Khandallah and named St Mary after the mother Anglican Church in Whitby, UK. At that time Whitby Anglicans were part of Pauatahanui parish.
With the growth of the suburb and the church, St Mary's became a mission district separate from Pauatahanui parish in the late 1980's. Subsequently, by the mid 1990's the original St Mary's was sold as the present site was purchased from Shell Oil company. For a period until the present church was built and occupied in September 2001, Anglicans held services in the Presbyterian church in Spinnaker Drive.
With the sale of the Whitby church minister's house in Cannon Lane in 2003, the church debt was paid off and the church was subsequently consecrated in August 2004.
With the abolition of mission districts by Synod legislation on 15th
September 2007, the former Mission District of Whitby became the Parish of Whitby
that day.
Whitby Diocesan Synod Representatives in Palmerston North on Saturday 15th September soon after legislation was passed which established the Parish of Whitby.
L-R: Terry Alve, Ian Frater and Philip Bexley.
Photo by Liz Greville, Masterton. Used with permission.