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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 (the below red crisscross) covers the entire Church and graveyard and covers the area to where our original Scott Road boundary fence sits.
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The Church and Cemetery are held in trust by the Hobsonville Church & Settlers Cemetery Preservation Society Incorporated, a registered charity and incorporated society.
We are a group of volunteers, many of us descendants of the early Hobsonville settler families, who continue to care for this place as our families have done for generations.
Many of us have ancestors buried here, are related and connected in some way, and attended Hobsonville School across multiple generations.
Hobsonville Church & Settlers' Cemetery offers a tangible link to the community’s earliest European settlers and their enduring legacy.
Pastoral lands have been incrementally transformed into one of Auckland’s fastest-growing suburbs.
Early settler family names are etched into street signs, parks and local landmarks including: Scott Road, Clark Road, Ockleston Landing, Midgley Road, Joshua Carder Drive, Ockleston Landing Pocket Park, Sinton Road, Williams Road, Sager Midgley Road, Wiseley Reserve, Boyds Bridge, Wiseley Road, Clark House, Neils Andersen Road, Vazey Way, Gunn Way, Ngaroma House Drive, Luckens Road, Scott Reserve, Dorricott Ave.
The 1920 Hobsonville street map is pretty simple, Wharf Road running between the two wharves, Scott Road, Clark Road, Ockleston Road, 'Pottery Lane', Sinton Road, Williams Road, Wiseley Road, Main Road (now Hobsonville Road).
Photo White Aviation 1929
We are deeply committed to preserving, maintaining, and protecting our 1875 heritage Church and graveyard as a treasured historic place for our community.
Many of us have generations of family buried here, and our families have cared for this Church and its grounds for more than 150 years.
This place connects us - most of us are related or linked in some way - and we are proud to continue the legacy of those who came before us.
CommitteeChair & Co-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 & Co-Sexton
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Left to Right: Darren Midgley, Angela Laurenson, Stuart Ogilvie, Jason Midgley, Cameron Brewer MP, Kohl Midgley
Absent: Leanne Midgley
Visiting the Church and Graveyard
Parking is available on the surrounding streets, though it can sometimes be difficult to find a space.
Entry to the Church and graveyard is through the Red Entrance Gates, located near the corner of Scott Road and Clark Road. A padlocked bollard is in place at these gates to prevent vehicles from entering the grounds.
The two graveyard service gates - one on Scott Road and one on Clark Road - are kept padlocked. These are used only by our gravediggers, headstone installers, and grounds maintenance teams, including lawnmowing and arborist services.
- Dogs are not permitted in the graveyard.- There are three garden seats available for visitors.- A water tap and hose for refilling flower vases is located on the left-hand side of the Church, beside the graveyard steps.- There are no outdoor rubbish bins, so please take any rubbish away with you.- Graves are east–west aligned, with feet to the east and head to the west.- The graveyard is overlooked on the north and east boundaries by our neighbours at Ryman’s Keith Park Village.
Please note that after rain, the Hobsonville clay can make the ground very wet underfoot, so care is needed when walking through the cemetery.
Weddings & Venue Bookings
You are very welcome to hire our 1875 Heritage‑Listed Settlers’ Church for your Wedding or Civil Union (hire fee $595), Baby Naming, Baptism, or other special occasion (hire fee on enquiry).
We warmly welcome Wedding and Civil Union bookings from all, any, or no denomination. You are free to choose your own Celebrant - religious, non‑religious, or independent - and there are no restrictions on who you may use.
We warmly welcome Wedding and Civil Union bookings from all, any, or no denomination. You are free to choose your own Celebrant - religious, non‑religious, or independent - and there are no restrictions on who you may 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 and roading construction next to Church until possibly July 2026
There is a significant amount of building and roading work happening around us at the moment, so we encourage you to visit the area and make sure you’re comfortable with the current surroundings before booking the Church.We work closely with the contractors to minimise any impact on weddings. This includes ensuring parking is available for guests and that no construction work takes place during the ceremony.
New shared walking and cycling path between Scott Road and Squadron Drive - construction works commence June 2026
As part of a joint initiative between the Upper Harbour Local Board’s Transport Capital Fund and Auckland Transport’s Walking Programme, AT is building a new shared walking and cycling path between Scott Road and Squadron Drive. AT has advised that this will also make it easier for people to reach Te Kori Scott Point Park.
At present, there is no footpath and no parking on the eastern side of this section of Clark Road. As part of the project, AT have also completed the upgrade to the zebra crossing near 98 Clark Road, funded by the Local Board.These improvements will create a safer, well‑connected route for the community and provide better access to nearby streets, parks, and local facilities. Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2026.
AT Clark Road letter and diagram dated 2 February 2026 link here
Roundabout under construction corner Scott Road/Clark Road/Ngaroma House Drive January-February 2026 by Civix's Civil Contractor - Cameron Civil
Parking at the Church with January-February 2026 roadworks and road closures - provided by contractor Cameron Civil
The Church & Graveyard
Hobsonville Church was built in 1875 by John Danby (1849-1923) as a church, school and gathering place, incorporating a graveyard in the grounds on one acre of land donated by R.O. Clark I (1816-1896).
Hobsonville was then a thriving community of 25 to 30 houses, with a mixed economy based on brick and pottery production and farming. After the 1877 Education Act ushered in a national system of free, secular, and compulsory education for Pākehā children, the land was transferred to five trustees, who are all buried in the graveyard:
Joshua Carder 1816-1895R.O. Clark II 1854-1905Joshua Ockleston 1836-1896Thomas Scott 1827-1892William Sinton 1837-1880 Hobsonville settler families buried in the graveyard include Anderson, Boyd, Bridgford, Carder, Clark, Midgley, Ockleston, Scott, Sinton, 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.
Hobsonville was then a thriving community of 25 to 30 houses, with a mixed economy based on brick and pottery production and farming. After the 1877 Education Act ushered in a national system of free, secular, and compulsory education for Pākehā children, the land was transferred to five trustees, who are all buried in the graveyard:
Joshua Carder 1816-1895R.O. Clark II 1854-1905Joshua Ockleston 1836-1896Thomas Scott 1827-1892William Sinton 1837-1880 Hobsonville settler families buried in the graveyard include Anderson, Boyd, Bridgford, Carder, Clark, Midgley, Ockleston, Scott, Sinton, 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.
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.
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 2.00pm Catholic Mass in Latin
Contact: Brendan Legg 020 4081 5966