The Village Hall (former Baptist Church)

The Rev William Barnett purchased the land for the Baptist Church during October 1908 at a time when there was no other Baptist Church in Tauranga.

Early in 1911, Rev Barnett approached the Auckland Baptists for help in the construction of a church in Tauranga which the Auckland Auxiliary Committee of the Baptist Union endorsed and established a committee to collect funds for the new building. From the proceeds, timber from the demolished Ponsonby Town Hall was consigned to Tauranga by scow and other timber arrived by cart from the Paengaroa sawmill on 1 June 1911. The four large timber pillars on the front porch were given by the Rev Barnett from trees milled on his Kaimai farm.

On 22 June, Coronation Day, four foundation stones were laid.

A second ceremony was held for the placing of a “time capsule” contained in a bottle set in behind one of the foundation stones which contained the history of the Baptist cause in Tauranga, names of the local committee and subscribers to the construction of the tabernacle, copies of the “New Zealand Baptist” and “Bay of Plenty Times”, and a photograph of King George, Queen Mary and the royal family.

The end of August brought the finishing touches to the building with the front door and stained glass windows for the east end and 100 chairs had arrived from Auckland.   The total cost, including the site, was said to be more than £600 although the Rev Barnett gifted the site to the Church.

In the 1950s, despite having acquired adjacent properties, the old church proved inadequate so additional land was purchased on the corner of Thirteenth Ave/Cameron Road to erect a new church. The old church was sold and in turn became a theatre for “The Gateway Players” and a second hand business “The Web”. After some years, it was again sold to developers who did not require the old building which was once more sold, this time to the Tauranga County Music Club who re-sited it at the Historic Village on 9 October 1985. It has once more become the centre of social activities as “The Village Hall”.