private owner who intended to use it as a holiday home. In 1998 a fire started by an arson attack severely damaged the building. The building languished for a period, with much local concern expressed about its condition. In 2002 the building was purchased by Jo and Mike Romanes bought the church in 2002, who then spent the next six years, stabilizing the building, installing a new roof and floor before converting it into boutique accommodation. The building was granted Heritage New Zealand historic place category 2 status in 2004. St Patrick’s Church (Roman Catholic) While Otago was established as a Presbyterian settlement the discovery of gold, resulted in miners of all nationalities and creeds emigrating to the province, among them a large number of Irish Catholics. To service their spiritual need, Father Delphin Moreau began visiting the goldfields from Dunedin, from the first weeks of the gold rush. Up until Cobb & Co’s established their coach service to the goldfields in October 1861 Moreau’s made his visits to Tuapeka on foot, holding Mass there once a month. By 1862 he was travelling to and holding Mass every alternate Sunday in a tent in Gabriel’s Gully. In October 1863 a section on the corner of Colonsay and Lancaster Streets house a church and school was donated by local businessman John Donovan. In 1864 Father Joseph Eccuyer was made the first priest permanently resident in Lawrence. A corrugated iron church named St Gabriel’s was erected on the site and blessed in November 1864 by Bishop Viard. It was the first Catholic church in Otago. By the end of May 1871 Father William Larkin had been appointed Parish priest to Tuapeka and he was able to organize the construction of the large wooden Gothic church-school of St Patrick’s which opened on 17 March 1872, across the road from the now superseded St Gabriel’s. During Larkin’s tenure calls intensified for a separate church, distinct from St Patrick’s as it was felt that the existing building was essentially a school rather than a church. A building fund for a new church was initiated in 1880 and noted architect, Francis Petre, was selected to design the church, issuing tenders for its construction in November 1890 on the site of the former St Gabriels on the corner of 12 Colonsay Street and Lancaster Street. The contract was awarded on 7 December 1890 to Dunedin based Daniel