Contemplating St Peter's

The hill known as Pukerangiora at the south end of Victoria Street was once the site of a redoubt for colonial forces. Built over the top of the redoubt today is the building of The Waikato Cathedral Church of St Peter, a symbol of faith, peace and unity. Its significance to the history of the Waikato is part of another story; the spread of the Christian church in Aotearoa since the early 19th century.

The Anglican Church in Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia consider themselves as a three-tikanga church: he tangata whenua, he tangata Paakeha and he tangata Pasifika - distinctly oceanic in spirit, yet still part of the wider Anglican Communion. This 1992 constitutional change was made to accommodate the differing approaches each have to their faith.

This exhibition is an invitation for you to contemplate depictions of the cathedral as more than just a landmark in our city, but also as a reminder of a place where Maaori and Paakeha have reasoned together toward the common goal of coexistence in peace for over one hundred years.

Image: Cathedral, Douglas Bright. Collection of Waikato Museum Te Whare Taonga o Waikato.

About the Trust Waikato Art Gallery 

Through the generous contribution of Trust Waikato, Waikato Museum is able to offer this gallery dedicated to exhibiting a rich blend of Trust Waikato artworks and works from the Museum’s own collection.
 
The Trust’s active collection of Waikato relevant artworks and historical documents will often be displayed with some relevance to other museum exhibitions or significant events in the Waikato cultural calendar. Most of the works will have some link to Tainui tangata whenua, the land, the river, representations of the colonial past and the rich history of the Waikato region.
 
Visit the Trust Waikato website here.