notice some of the more prominent buildings. Amongst the first of these are the churches.
The First Church was designed by Mr R. A. Lawson, architect. It is a handsome building of early Decorated Gothic, with a finely proportioned tower and spire rising to a height of 175 feet. It is built of Oamaru stone and with the Manse close by, occupies a most conspicuous site on Church Hill, overlooking the harbour.
Though named "The First Church," it is really the fourth building erected for the congregation. The first building was erected in 1848 where the Standard Insurance Company's building now stands. It was a wooden building of no pretensions, to which followed a stone structure of a primitive style, and that also had to be vacated for a larger though temporary building of wood, which was erected fronting Dowling-street, on the site occupied by the Lyceum, now called the City Hall. This third, building was sold for removal, and was converted into tramway stables, and was ultimately burnt.
Of the first building, the Rev. Dr Burns, the first and able minister, who with Captain Cargill, was the pioneer founder of the Presbyterian settlement, very humorously and with considerable feeling said: "The poor old church! Never was there an honester, a more faithful, or a more useful servant. I may say that it was a good servant of all work. It could cleverly turn its hand to anything. Its sacred—its proper work was on Sunday, but from Monday to Saturday it held itself ready for any service. It was a schoolroom; it was a public lecture room; it was the humble servant of the Dunedin Land Investment Company; it lent itself to many a stormy political meeting; it was the willing servant of the Horticultural Society; with patriotic zeal, it accommodated the Provincial Council; it lent itself to many a concert, to many a musical party; and then it was without pride, and it had no ambition; from the highest to the lowest, it was equally at the command of all.
"It was possessed of at least one great quality that should not be left untold—it utterly disdained a mercenary spirit; it never would work for wages—and it was this great quality that hastened its fall. Adversity came, and so soon as its last trials began, they came thick and fast.
