Old St Paul’s in Wellington nearly fell victim to its own replacement. When the new St Paul’s Cathedral opened, the old church was threatened with demolition. Public outcry saved it.

It is easy to see why people cared. This Gothic Revival church dates from 1866 and is made of timber, a choice shaped by earthquake risk and plentiful native wood. It stands on the site of Pipitea Pā, a Māori settlement on Wellington’s waterfront. It is no longer a parish church, but it is open daily and popular for weddings.

VoiceMap’s Capital Stories tour stops here, then sets the church against the cathedral that nearly replaced it: reinforced concrete, designed in the 1930s with the Napier earthquake in mind. The route carries on to a cemetery chapel built from materials of the first St Paul’s, which dates from 1844.