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St Joseph's, Riversdale




Detailing of porch and steeple
View from porch
St Joseph's from the north.











St Joseph's Church, now at Riversdale, was the first church built on the East Coast between Hawkes Bay and Wellington.

A 1905 picture of St Joseph's Catholic Church and Castlepoint County Council office,
 on left of Annedale Road, Tinui


Built in 1881, for most of its life it served as the Roman Catholic Church at Tinui.

When Riversdale was first subdivided, developer Basil Bodle donated land to both the Anglican and Catholic Churches to build a church at Riversdale.

In 1966 Tinui Anglican Parish sold one of its sections to fund other parish building projects.  In 1979, Vicar Roger Burt reported to the vestry - 

It occurs to me that it is a waste to have two churches in Tinui Village. St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church is only used three or four times a year. Does the PCC think it is possible that we should approach St. Patrick's PCC as to the viability of of moving the church to our section at Riversdale? It would cost about $1500 to do so.  The cost should be shared and it could be a good ecumenical exercise.

In November 1979, he further reported to the vestry -

Rev Fr Bernard Miles and I have come to a verbal agreement regarding the movement and tenure of St Joseph's Church, at present at Tinui. We have offered to supply half the removal costs of the Church to Riversdale and to use our section. In response the Roman Catholics have offered us their section and joined use agreement that we have with them at St Andrew's Whareama. The church will remain their property, but we will have use of it when required. Such things will yet have to be confirmed.


St Joseph's being moved off its site at Tinui


St Joseph's Church going past the Tinui Store, on its way to Riversdale


On 25 March 1981, Gray Brothers, of Greytown, moved St Joseph's Church from Tinui to Riversdale.

St Joseph's, now located at Riversdale, in 1984
Plaque in the church porch

Sources
Wairarapa Archives (historical photos)
Church historySouvenir Story of the Church of the Good Shepherd 1902-2001 (Pauline Stilborn)

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