North Otago Presbytery Records

Please Note : 18 Baptisms which took place at Oamaru, Hampden and Otepopo from Nov 1862 to Sept 1863 were entered in the back of the Anderson's Bay Parish Dunedin Baptismal Register by the Rev James McNaughton.

Columba Presbyterian Church, Oamaru -

  • Baptismal register 1882 to 1895 missing; no Marriage registers 1882 to May 1910 (?)

Duntroon Presbyterian Church -

  • No Communion roll 1921 to 1956. 
  • Some of the the Duntroon marriage registers are in very poor condition and access is at the discretion of the North Otago Museum Archivist.

Enfield Presbyterian Church -

  • During the 1940's, two young rabitters from Oamaru apparently used the Pulpit Bible for target practise. The .22 bullet penetrated as far as Deuteronomy..... (From "Country Churches of New Zealand ", 2002)

Herbert Presbyterian Church -

  • No Communion roll 1888 to 1907, no Baptismal roll 1864 to 1885.

Kurow Presbyterian Church -

  • No Baptism roll 1898 to Jun 1917 (noted missing in 1954); no Communion roll 1898 to 1916.

Lower Waitaki Parish -

  • No Baptism register Jan 1881 to Nov 1915.

Maheno Presbyterian Church -

  • an unspecified fire caused minor damage in 1924 however the caretaker saved the day by putting out the fire despite being somewhat badly burned in the process. An ex-gratia payment of £10 was made to the Caretaker for his troubles.
  • A fire broke out while paint was being burnt off the Church buildings c.1951-52. The Church and the Sunday School Hall, which were connected by a covered passageway, were completely destroyed, including all contents, amounting to an insurance claim of £3,960 pounds. It is unknown what records may have been lost. 

North Otago Bible Class Camp Site Committee (Iona Camp) -

  • An 4 roomed cottage (originally built in 1914) on the campsite grounds at Glencoe was totally destroyed by fire on the 26th May 1960 after a fuse blew on the switchboard. Apart from 20 mattresses, bunks and other furniture, a number of framed photographs of previous camp groups including souvenirs and letters from Iona in Scotland were lost. Some students resident for a Student Christian Union Camp also lost their personal possessions, including study notes of up to three years work. The building was insured for £500.

Otematata Presbyterian Church -

  • A fire damaged furnishings and hymn books c.1958-59.

Palmerston Presbyterian Church -

  • Marriage register from circa 1871 to Sept 1873 missing (marriages 1 to 40)
  • Early baptismal register missing

St Barnabas Presbyterian Church, Maheno -

  • No Communion rolls prior to Sept 1902.

St John's Presbyterian Church, Otepopo -

  • Marriages performed by the Rev John Ryley for the period 1 October 1880 to 26 Dec 1881 are to be found in the Port Chalmers Marriages registers. Rev Ryley took 'his' register with him to his next charge after Otepopo.

St Paul's Presbyterian Church, Oamaru -

  • The record of the first 55 marriages that took place in the Parish (1863 to 1868), being conducted by the Rev Charles Connor, were found in the early Popotunoa (Clinton) Marriage registers. Evidently the Rev Connor had taken "his" register with him to his next Parish. 

Tokaraki Presbyterian Church -

  • The minutes of the Tokaraki Ladies Guild from 1925 to c.1964 and the Tokaraki Association of Presbyterian Women from c.1964 to 1965 "were lost in Blanchard's house fire.... in 1965".

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