After the erection of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, no additions to the Roman Catholic churches were made until 1866, when Bishop Pompallier built the Church of S. Francis de Sales in the cemetery, near the corner of Symonds and East Streets. This old church was replaced by St. Benedinct’s Church, which was opened on July 23, 1882, Dr. Redwood, Bishop of Wellington, officiating at the consecration. The building, which was constructed of kauri, was built by Mr. T. Colebrook, from the plans of Messrs. Mahoney and Sons, and cost over £6000. It was destroyed by fire on 18th December, 1886. In a little over a year the present brick church was completed, and was opened by Bishop Luck, in the presence of Dr. Redwood, on 22nd April, 1888. Messrs. Mahoney and Sons were again the architects, and Mr. J. J. Holland the builder. The interior decorations in both buildings were the work of Father Luck. The cost of the land upon which the church is built was £1150, and the building, excluding furniture, £5950.
For ten years after the opening of St. Andrew’s, the Presbyterians did not add to their number of churches. The first outgrowth of St. Andrew’s was St. James’s, Wellington Street, which was erected to a charge in 1860, the services being carried on in the school house. The present building was opened on March 26th, 1865. It was designed by Mr. T. B. Cameron, and was built by Mr. Andrew Clow, the contract price being £2500.
St. David’s Church has had an interesting history. In 1864 the session of St. Andrew’s erected a preaching station at the junction of Khyber Pass Road and Symonds Street, and named it St. David’s Church. Rev. James Wallis was the first minister, and under his care the church flourished until 1867, when a division arose in the congregation, leading to its abandonment. After a lapse of ten years it was re-established and re-opened on 10th March, 1878. Shortly afterwards St. David’s was elevated to a session. In 1880 the present church was erected in Symonds Street, in the allotment at the front of the old building, by Mr. James Heron, from the plans of Mr. E. Bartley. It was removed to its present location in 1902.
The first Baptist Church in Auckland was formed in 1855. A chapel and schoolroom were erected in Wellesley Street at the corner of Chapel Street. About 1880 Mr. Thomas Spurgeon, a son of the famous evangelical preacher, became pastor. The congregation had now grown to such dimensions that the Choral Hall was requisitioned for the Sunday evening service, and proved too small. It was thereupon decided to build the Tabernacle. This building was opened on May 12th, 1885. The building, which is Corinthian in style, was designed by Mr. Edmund Bell, the contractor being Mr. J. J. Holland. It cost £14,000, including furnishings.
The Wesleyan denomination erected two churches during this period, one in Pitt Street, the other in Grafton Road. The former was opened for worship on the 4th of October, 1866. Wesley Hall, adjoining the church, was erected in 1877, and is used as a schoolroom. Including the parsonage, the buildings belonging to this church cost £20,000 to erect. The Grafton Road Church was erected in 1866, and was replaced by a new building, which was dedicated to public worship in July, 1885. The Helping Hand Mission was instituted in the early ’eighties, and in 1885 the hall in Drake Street was opened.
The Congregational Church was founded in 1851, and the first church was situated in High Street, and existed till 1876. The premier church, however, is Beresford Street Church, which was established in March of the following year, the services being held in Shamrock Cottage, Albert Street. A church was erected close to this cottage in 1854, and was called the Albert Street Congregational Church. The present church was erected in 1876, and is reputed to be the first concrete building erected in Auckland. The Newton Church, Edinburgh Street, was founded in 1864.
The first Primitive Methodist Church was built in Alexandra Street in 1851, on a site given by Governor Sir George Grey. Prior to union with the Wesleyan denomination there were two circuits in connection with this Church, of which the Alexandra Street Church was the chief centre; the other centre was the Franklin Road Church. Upon the union taking place the Church became The Methodist Church of New Zealand.
The Jewish community opened its first church in Emily Place in 1858. Rabbi Elkin was the first minister. He was succeeded in 1881 by the present minister, Rabbi Goldstein. The Synagogue in Princes Street was opened in 1885.
The Auckland Y.M.C.A. was founded by Mr. R. B. Shalders, and its first building—a mere four walls—was erected in the founder’s garden, Chapel Street, in 1855. Next year the association procured larger premises in Durham Street, which were destroyed by the fire of January 17th, 1863. The third building was erected in 1868 at the corner of Albert and Wellesley Streets, and occupied two floors. On the same site the fourth building (a four-storeyed one) was erected in 1886. Mr. P. F. M. Burrows was the architect. The present building was opened by the Governor, the Earl of Liverpool, on April 30th, 1913. Mr. Alex. Wiseman was the architect, and Messrs Grevatt and Sons the contractors. The sister institution—the Y.W.C.A.—was not founded until 1878. From that date until 1903 the association used rented premises. In 1903 a building, originally designed for a warehouse, was acquired in Wellesley Street East, where it carried on its activities until the present premises in Upper Queen Street, designed by Mr. W. H. Gummer, A.R.I.B.A., were opened in 1918.