St James Church

St James is a small Anglican timber church above the Waiho River at Franz Josef/Waiau, set among West Coast bush. Its white boards, dark trim and square crenellated tower make a striking little building; the clear windows behind the altar are what give it a story beyond its size.

It is described as a short walk from Franz Josef village. Entry arrangements are unclear: the property is listed as private, though visitor information also describes people popping in to look around. Check locally before planning to go inside. No on-site food or public visitor facilities were confirmed.

Three clear plate-glass windows sit behind the altar, facing the Waiho River gorge instead of stained glass. The view from the altar to the mountains appeared on New Zealand’s 9d Peace stamp in 1946. Franz Josef Glacier moved out of the view by 1952 and was reported back in 1994, but whether it is visible from the windows now is uncertain.

If you’re allowed inside, the cross makes a strong foreground against the broad windows, with the riverbed and mountains beyond. From outside, the black-and-white timber pattern and tower are the details to frame.

Anglican services were being held in a room at Franz Josef by 1910. When the community planned a church in 1925, the congregation was only nine families; an ambitious river-stone design proved too expensive, and architects J.S. Turnbull and P.W. Rule drew up the simpler timber building. Peter and Alec Graham, local climbers and glacier guides, donated the land. The foundation stone was laid by Governor-General Lord Bledisloe on 3 February 1931, and the church was dedicated that April.

A 1995 flood stripped away much of the riverbank and brought the edge to within about six metres of the church. Moving the building was considered, but flood protection was chosen instead, so the church remains where it was built.