The historic, Heritage Listed 1875 Hobsonville Church & Settlers' Cemetery is at 1 Scott Road, Hobsonville, Auckland.
The Church building and early European Hobsonville settlers' graveyard are on The New Zealand Heritage List / Rārangi Kōrero List Number 9796. Our Heritage Listing and the Auckland Council Historic Heritage Overlay covers the entire Church and graveyard and covers the area to where our original Scott Road boundary fence sits. The Hobsonville Church and Settlers' Cemetery is in the Trusteeship of The Hobsonville Church and Settlers Cemetery Preservation Society Incorporated. The Church building and graveyard are maintained by volunteers, descendants of the early Hobsonville settler families, the grounds are lovingly cared for, and remains an active burial ground.
Who We Are link Get In Touch With Us here Our Email: hobsonvillesettlerschurch@gmail.com
We are passionate about preserving, maintaining and protecting our heritage 1875 Church building and graveyard as an historic district amenity for our community. Many of us have 5 or 6 generations of family buried in the graveyard, and looked after this building and graveyard for 150 years. Most of us are related in some way.
Committee 2024/2025Chair & Sexton Jason Midgley 021 565 111 General enquiries, Graves, Burials, Funerals, Ash Memorial Wall, Plaques, Gravediggers Secretary & Treasurer Angela Laurenson 021 060 1411 Website, Facebook, Financials, Donations, Membership, History, Newsletters Weddings & Bookings Co-ordinator Leanne Midgley 021 688 164 Weddings and Venue enquiries and bookings, and viewings of the Church building Committee Members Darren Midgley 029 234 3705 Stuart Ogilvie Kohl Midgley 021 156 4666 also Sexton role
Left to Right: Darren Midgley, Angela Laurenson, Stuart Ogilvie, Jason Midgley, Cameron Brewer MP, Kohl Midgley. Absent: Leanne Midgley.
When You Visit
- Parking is available in the surrounding streets. - Entry to the Church and graveyard is by the Red Entrance Gates located almost at the corner of Scott Road and Clark Road. - There is a padlocked bollard at the Red Entrance Gates to stop cars from driving into the grounds. - The two graveyard entrance gates, one on Scott Road and one on Clark Road, are padlocked, and are used by our gravediggers and lawnmowers. - Dogs are not permitted in the graveyard. - There are three garden seats. - There is a water tap and hose for refilling flower vases on the left hand side of the building, graveyard side steps. - No outside rubbish bins, please take your rubbish away. - Graves are east/west facing. Feet at the east, head to the west. - The graveyard is overlooked on north and east boundaries by our Ryman Keith Park Village neighbours. - After rain, because of the Hobsonville clay, the graveyard can be very wet underfoot and care should be taken. - The graveyard is not staffed. We are volunteers. If you see an issue please contact us.
Weddings & Venue Bookings
You are very welcome to hire our 1875 Heritage Listed Settlers' Church for your Wedding or Civil Union (hire fee $500), Baby Naming, Baptism or other Venue booking (hire fee on enquiry).Wedding or Civil Union bookings from all, any or no denomination are welcomed and you provide your own Celebrant. There are no rules around which Celebrant, or religious or non religious Celebrant you can use.
Our lovely Church has seating from say 6 people to up to 100 guests (maximum) seated on our original pews.Wedding & Venue Bookings Info here.
Building Construction in the area
There is a lot of building construction going on around us. Best to come and have a look if you are happy with all the construction and have a drive around the area before you book our Church venue.
Roundabout to be constructed corner Scott/Clark/Ngaroma House Drive approx April 2025
Background and update on roundabout at link here Temporary pathway & Auckland Transport 2021 link here Below: Agreed revised plan for roundabout below dated 18 December 2024
The Graveyard
Rice Owen Clark (1816-1896), one of the first European settlers in Hobsonville, and all five of the original trustees of the land in 1877 are buried in the graveyard, Joshua Carder (1816-1895), R O Clark Jnr (1854-1905), Joshua Ockleston (1836-1896), Thomas Scott (1827-1892) and William Sinton (1837-1880), along with members of other Hobsonville settler families, including Anderson, Boyd, Bridgford, Midgley, Williams and Wiseley. A walk through the graveyard reflects the strong connection Hobsonville had to the brick and pottery making industry, with the graveyard monuments commemorating significant ceramic manufacturers, including Clark, Carder and Vazey, and other Hobsonville potters including Cater, Holland and Ockleston.
150th Sesquicentennial 1875-2025
The Hobsonville Church and Settlers' Cemetery is 150 years old in 2025. We are planning on holding a low key family event with early Hobsonville settler descendants, friends and supporters in around October 2025. Hobsonville Church was built in 1875 as a combined meeting place, church and school incorporating a graveyard in the grounds. Hobsonville was then a thriving community of 25 to 30 houses, with a mixed economy based on brick and pottery production, and farming.
School was held in a private cottage and then the Church building before Education Board land was obtained in Hobsonville Road for a new school building opening in 1895, at its current location 104 Hobsonville Road. Hobsonville School held their 150th celebration on Saturday 5 April 2025. Some early Hobsonville settler families have many generations of family who have attended Hobsonville School including: 5 Generations: Ockleston and Midgley 4 Generations: Williams and Boyd Hobsonville District School Diamond Jubilee Booklet 1875-1935 link hereHobsonville Primary School Centennial Booklet 1875-1975 link here
Photo below: Hobsonville Church & School, date unknown but around the early 1890s. You can see the white picket fences around graves.
A mural on the wall of the Hobsonville Primary School Hall, at 104 Hobsonville Road, recognises Hobsonville Pioneer Families. Other pioneer families in the graveyard include Bridgford. There are no Luckens buried in the graveyard.
Newsletters
Every so often we email an update about what's been happening at the Church and graveyard.May 2024 Newsletter link here. December 2022 Newsletter link here. July 2022 Newsletter link here. December 2021 Newsletter link here.
Facebook
Our Facebook link here. We provide updates on what is going on at the Church, graveyard and surrounding development, family histories, a mix of what we think people might find interesting to read. Any contributions please Get In Touch.
Note: 'Clarks Chapel' at 7 Clarks Lane, Hobsonville is the former Brighams Creek Church at 1 Brighams Creek Road, Whenuapai relocated circa 2009 to the Clarks Lane Historic Heritage Area (HHA) to avoid demolition, and has a limited association with Hobsonville heritage.
Church Services
We hire the building to two Church groups of different denominations for their weekly services: Geneva Free Reformed Church of New Zealand. Services held on Sundays 10.00am - 12.00pm, & 4.00pm - 6.00pm Contact: Richard Burdon 021 046 8650 Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen (CMRI). Services held on Sundays 7.00pm Catholic Mass in Latin Contact: Brendan Legg 020 4081 5966