New Zealand-born architect
Francis Petre (27 August 1847 – 10 December 1918) was a New Zealand -born architect based in Dunedin . He was an exponent of the Gothic revival style, one of its best practitioners in New Zealand. He followed the Roman Church's initiative to build Catholic places of worship in Anglo-Saxon countries in Romance forms of architecture. The following is a list of buildings he designed, by date of construction.
St. Patrick's Basilica, Oamaru, exterior St. Patrick's Basilica, Oamaru, interior St.Patrick's Church, Waimate, exterior St.Patrick's Church, Waimate, interior
St Dunstan's Church (Catholic) Clyde, Otago
1875. Woodside mansion (Castlamore), Dunedin, for Judge Chapman. Style: Gothic revival.
1876. Cargill's Castle , Dunedin, for E. B. Cargill. Style: mixed Italianate, Castelated and Gothic.
1877. St. Dominic's Priory, and chapel, Dunedin. Style: Gothic revival - this and the two above in poured concrete.
1877. Church of St Mary, Star of the Sea, Port Chalmers , near Dunedin . Opened 12 May 1878 [ 1] Re-opened June 1898. Also adjoining presbytery .
1877. St Michael the Archangel Church, Palmerston , Otago. Since replaced.
1877 St Leonard’s Church (dedication), at St Leonards , Otago. No longer exists
1878 St. Patrick's School Chapel, South Dunedin. Opened 21 August 1878 [ 2]
1878–1886. St. Joseph's Cathedral, Dunedin . Style: Gothic Revival. Foundation Stone laid 26 January 1879 [ 3]
1879 Manor Terrace, Manor Place, Dunedin.
1880. St Peter’s, Ophir , Otago. Opened Sunday 5 September 1880 [ 4] Deconsecrated c.1929 and sold. Now private residence.
1881–1882. Guardian Royal Exchange Assurance Building, Dunedin. Style: Palladian.
1881. Sacred Heart Convent , Christchurch . Later the Christchurch Music Centre. Demolished after 2010/11 earthquakes.
1882. Catholic Church of The Holy Name of Jesus, Ashburton . Opened 10 December 1882 [ 5] (Since demolished)
1882. Dominican Convent School Chapel (St Joseph’s), Invercargill .
1882. Blessed Sacrament Church, Gore . Opened 25 October 1914; demolished 1980s.[ 6]
1883. Llanmaes mansion , Christchurch. Style: English cottage. Now Dux de Lux cafe.
1883. St Kevin’s Catholic Church, Wyndham , Southland. Foundation Stone laid 8 July 1883[ 7] Opened 30 March 1884[ 8] Since Replaced.
1884. Chapel of St. Peter's, Catholic, Wreys Bush Southland, New Zealand. Opened 24 February 1884. (Since Demolished)[ 9]
1884. Fletcher Humphreys and Co building, Christchurch. (Since demolished)
1884. Australian Mutual Provident Society building, Christchurch. (Since demolished)
1884. Church of St Thomas, Winton , Southland. Since replaced.
c.1885. St Joseph’s Catholic Church, Hakataramea , Canterbury. Occasionally referred to as the Sacred Heart Church. Since demolished.
c.1885. Phoenix House, Dunedin (now Airport House).
c.1885. Pinner House, Dunedin. Style: English cottage.
1885. Presbytery at Milton , Otago.
c.1886. The Magdalen Asylum, Christchurch.
1887. Otago Harbour Board Building, Dunedin[ 10]
1888. St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Greymouth . Foundation Stone laid 17 April 1887, Opened 20 May 1888[ 11] (Since demolished)
1889. St Canice Catholic Church, Westport . Since replaced with a modern building
1892. St Patrick’s Church, Hawea Flat , Otago, and associated hall. Church subsequently decommissioned and sold. Private residence, and still standing late 2012. Hall demolished.
1892. Sacred Heart Church, North East Valley , Dunedin. Appears to be constructed of poured concrete
1892. St. Patrick's Church, Lawrence , Otago
1892. St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church, Milton. Sometimes referred to as the Church of the Immaculate Conception
1894. Catholic Church of St Mary, Star of the Sea, Hampden , Otago
1894. The Sacred Heart Church, Hyde , Otago
1895. Re-opening of St Peter’s Church, Wreys Bush , Southland
1895. St Joseph’s Church, Morven , Canterbury. Deconsecrated and closed 1970s. Still standing in 2011 in a complete state. Private use
c. 1896. St Virgilius, church extensions, Balclutha , Otago. Since replaced and renamed
1896. Memorial Chapel to late Bishop Moran , Dunedin Southern Cemetery
1898. St Joseph’s Catholic Church at Queenstown
1898. St Patrick's Basilica, South Dunedin . First opened 1894 in an unfinished state
c. 1898 Convent and Orphanage associated with St Patrick’s, South Dunedin. Convent chapel named as St Vincent de Paul
1898. Re-opening of St John the Baptist Church, Alexandra . First opened 18??. Since replaced
1899. St Patrick's Hall, South Dunedin. Near the Basilica
1899. St Joseph's Hall, Dunedin. Opposite St Joseph’s Cathedral
1900. Dominican Convent, Oamaru, and chapel. Almost next door to the Basilica
1900. Chapel of Holy Cross College, Mosgiel , Mosgiel , also Mercy Convent
1901. St Paul the Apostle Church, Middlemarch , Otago
1901 Convent, Milton, Otago
1901. Sacred Heart Basilica (now Cathedral of the Sacred Heart), Wellington . Style: Palladian
1902. Convent of Mercy, South Dunedin
c.1902. St Mary’s Church, Riversdale , Southland
1903. St Thomas the Apostle Church, Garston , Southland
1903. St Dunstan’s Catholic Church, Clyde , Otago[ 12]
1904–05. Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Christchurch . Style: Italian Renaissance. Severely damaged in 2010–11 earthquakes
1905. St. Mary's Basilica, Invercargill
1905. St Michael’s Church, Lumsden , Southland
1906. Sacred Heart Church, Naseby , Otago. Deconsecrated and sold 2009
1907. Mary Immaculate Catholic Church at Flint's Bush, (aka Thornbury) Riverton , Southland
1909. St Patrick's Basilica, Waimate , Canterbury. Style: Romanesque with Italianate cupola and campanile
1909. Church of the Irish Martyrs, Cromwell , Otago
1909. Home of the Little Sisters of the Poor, Dunedin
1910. Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Timaru (Timaru Basilica) . Style: Byzantine. Foundation stone laid 6 February 1910, opened 1 October 1911[ 13] and the copy of its transepts, sanctuary and sacristies opened in Paddington, Sydney in 1918).[ 14]
c. 1910. Council Chambers, Waimate
1916. St Patrick's Dominican College, Teschemakers , near Oamaru. Boarding Wing and Chapel of the Holy Rosary
1918. (building commenced 1893) St Patrick's Basilica, Oamaru . Style: mixed Palladian and Renaissance. Also the Presbytery next door
Undated. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Windsor , Otago
Undated. St Bridget Church extensions, Waitahuna , Otago
Undated. Home for the Aged, Andersons Bay , Dunedin
Undated. Benevolent Institution. Caversham , Dunedin
Undated. Golf Club Rooms, St Clair , Dunedin
^ Otago Daily Times 13 May 1878 p.2
^ New Zealand Tablet 23 August 1878 p.11
^ New Zealand Tablet 31 January 1879 p.16
^ New Zealand Tablet 3 September 1880 p.15
^ New Zealand Tablet 15 December 1882 p.13
^ Bruce, Helen (1982). The Meeting of the Waters: A History of the Gore Catholic Parish . Gore: Gore Catholic Parish. pp. 63–67.
^ New Zealand Tablet 13 July 1883 p.13
^ Southland Times 31 March 1884 p.2
^ Southland Times 6 March 1884 p.2
^ "Otago Harbour Board Offices", Built in Dunedin (Retrieved 29 November 2023)
^ HANRAHAN, M. J. Built in Faith. Catholic Churches of the Christchurch Diocese Past and Present 1840 - 2010 (Christchurch Catholic Diocese, Christchurch 2010) page 93
^ "St Dunstan's Church (Catholic)" . Historic Place Category 2 List Number 2387 . Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga. Retrieved 5 March 2023 .
^ HANRAHAN, M. J. Built in Faith. Catholic Churches of the Christchurch Diocese Past and Present 1840 - 2010 (Christchurch Catholic Diocese, Christchurch 2010) page 209
^ Brosnahan, Seán (2011). Thinking About Heaven: a history of Sacred Heart Parish, Timaru (PDF) . Timaru: The Sacred Heart Basilica Centenary Book Committee. ISBN 978-0-473-19478-9 . Retrieved 15 March 2015 . p. 124f.