From 1857 to 1916 the district of Wairau was under the
pastoral care of the Blenheim clergy who spent a great deal
of time in travelling. The unbridged rivers were a constant
source of anxiety.
The earliest church building in the parish - the old wooden
original Church of the Good Shepherd at Wairau Valley -
was dedicated by Bishop Hobhouse Ir, October, 1861,
having been "opened" by the Rev. H.F.Butt in August that
year. Prior to this, earlier services had been held at such
stations as Hillesden. The cost of the Church was 163 £,
including the seats. In 1860 there were eight stations in the
wide area with a total population of about 120.
One of the laymen in the early days deserves mention. He
was James White, a schoolmaster versed in medicine. He
taught in the Beaver (Blenheim) School from 1859, and
gave yeoman service as a Lay Reader of the Church. It is
said that he frequently walked from the Beaver to the Big
Bush to conduct services. He visited the sick, even
swimming a river to bring help and consolation to those in
trouble. He died in 1907 at the age of 90.
The Rev. H.B. White, the first Vicar, was a grandson of
James White, the original Lay Reader. He was educated at
Christ's College, and at Selwyn College, and served later in
the Dunedin Diocese. He died at the age of 40 in 1927.
The township of Renwick (formerly called Renwicktown) is
the home of the Parish Church. Dedicated on the day after
the Feast of the Annunciation in 1896 it was called the
Church of the Annunciation.
The Church, built on a site given by Dr. Renwick, was
moved on May 11th, 1955, to its present position alongside
the Vicarage in the Main Road and completely renovated.
The Goddard Memorial Window, dedicated in September,
1956, is a modification of one of Walter E Saliman's pictures
(the Good Shepherd).
The Parish Hall was completed in June, 1964, and is
currently used for all services except the Sunday morning
8 a.m. service.