Christ Church
Christ Church
4.5
About
Nau mai, haere and welcome to Christ Church, New Zealand's oldest existing church and cemetery. A digital walk can be downloaded from the App stores from Hikoi Tahi Walking Tours which share the fascinating stories of some of the people buried here. Enjoy visiting our cemetery and do visit our beautiful church.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
374 reviews
Excellent
187
Very good
156
Average
27
Poor
4
Terrible
0
santo t
Auckland, New Zealand7,465 contributions
Jun 2020
It is the oldest existing church in NZ today, and the oldest building still used for its original purpose. The missionaries purchased land in 1834 from Maori chiefs and the building build by 1835 with the first service was on 3 January 1836 and a burial ground around the church in 1839 and used by Captain William Hobson in 1840 to make proclamations. It is old beautiful historical small church building at the town centre of a famous small town, Russell. Have a look to admire the beauty and learn a bit about history of this church, all for free.
Written March 6, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shelley M
Albany, New Zealand906 contributions
Mar 2022
It is work a quick stop to look around and check out the bullet holes and cemetery. Gosh so many died here very young, really makes you sad. Well looked after and grounds kept up to look really respected. Well worth a look around if you are in Russell.
Written March 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Murray P
Porirua, New Zealand519 contributions
Mar 2021 • Couples
Beautifully maintained and an interesting cemetery. Certainly worth the visit. Nice to see it is still a working church.
Written March 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BruceSheree W
Brisbane, Australia193 contributions
Mar 2020
A great church, well looked after with lots of history. You can see the bullet holes in the church wall. The locals have taken a lot of pride in their church with hand made cushions on the pews depicting family history. The cemetery was also very interesting. Well worth looking at
Written March 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stefano M
Penang Island, Malaysia226 contributions
Feb 2020
The church interioor is fairly plain. The churchyard, full of flowering bushes and impeccably kept, shows the history of Russell - Kororareka from its tumultuous violent beginnins to gentility.
Written February 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CalellaDePalafrugell
Loughborough, UK506 contributions
Nov 2019
We enjoyed walking round Russell, and found this pretty lttle Church. It's worth spending a little time learning abouts its history.
Written December 6, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Charles A
Owosso, MI22 contributions
Nov 2016 • Couples
A good location for scenery and a historical attraction in the Russell area. I would recommend this location to anyone who appreciates history and who may appreciate the beauty of New Zealand..
Written November 12, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
shortonfunds
Manchester, UK24 contributions
Mar 2014 • Couples
Nothing to see, very poorly signposted, no tourist information. Obviously the local council doesn't care about tourists until it's rebuilt...
Written April 29, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mudge2011
Phoenix, AZ267 contributions
Nov 2012 • Friends
We loved visiting Christchurch and seeing the church itself and the graveyard which is quite historical. There are actual bullets in the wall from the conflict between early settlers and Maoris. I particularly liked all the individual seating cushions that had been made by early settlers. They told quite a story.
Written February 2, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ITRT
Virginia44,656 contributions
Jan 2023 • Friends
The village of Russell was known as Kororareka prior to Captain Cook’s arrival. During its early days, the town was referred to as the “hell hole of the Pacific” because of widespread prostitution. By the 1830s, Russell became a lawless trading center. It attracted all types of misfits including drunks, deserters and escaped convicts because of its good anchorage and whaling industry.
Christ Church was built in 1836 and bears the musket holes from the conflict between the European settlers and the Māori people in 1845. You may have to look closely to see the holes. Limited funds resulted in a very plain church with no steeple being built. In 1840, it was used as a courthouse because it was the only building large enough to accommodate everyone who wanted to attend the murder trial hearing. The Bishop of Auckland presided over a meeting in 1873 when the church was officially named Christ Church. It is open to the public and free to enter. Donations are appreciated.
The cemetery in the church yard was consecrated in 1838 but the first burial was of William Skinner who dies at the age of 43 in 1836. There is a burial ground on the church property that contains the graves of Ngāpuhi chief Tāmati Wāka Nene, early settlers, whalers, and sailors. Some of the gravestones do not have any markings because of their age, some are simply wooden markers, and others are made of sandstone or marble. While the church is Anglican, the cemetery is non-denominational. Christ Church and its graveyard is worth a visit.
Christ Church was built in 1836 and bears the musket holes from the conflict between the European settlers and the Māori people in 1845. You may have to look closely to see the holes. Limited funds resulted in a very plain church with no steeple being built. In 1840, it was used as a courthouse because it was the only building large enough to accommodate everyone who wanted to attend the murder trial hearing. The Bishop of Auckland presided over a meeting in 1873 when the church was officially named Christ Church. It is open to the public and free to enter. Donations are appreciated.
The cemetery in the church yard was consecrated in 1838 but the first burial was of William Skinner who dies at the age of 43 in 1836. There is a burial ground on the church property that contains the graves of Ngāpuhi chief Tāmati Wāka Nene, early settlers, whalers, and sailors. Some of the gravestones do not have any markings because of their age, some are simply wooden markers, and others are made of sandstone or marble. While the church is Anglican, the cemetery is non-denominational. Christ Church and its graveyard is worth a visit.
Written April 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bevsymes
Taihape, New Zealand
I am going to visit Christ Church soon. I believe there is a Dr Shepard buried here who is my childrens Grandfather 5 generations back. Is is correct?
Written October 1, 2017
Sorry I don't know the answer You could google it
Written November 3, 2017
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