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One Man’s Goldfield: the story of the Horseshoe Bend Diggings, William Rigney and Somebody’s Darling

Figure 10 Island Block Post Office (1990's) (Now demolished)

The Horseshoe Bend Church

A wattle and daub church was built at Horseshoe Bend in 1867 and remained in use
for many years. The church was built by Mr A J Grant, the owner of Beaumont
Station. The official opening of the church was recorded by the Rev C Stuart Ross:

"We set out from Lawrence, in company with the Rev Dr Copeland, to attend a soiree
held in celebration of the opening of a place of worship at Horseshoe Bend. The
distance was twenty miles over such country, and through such perils, as we hardly
expect to encounter again. The Backbone taxed our energies to the uttermost. We
were fain to dismount, and clamber up the steepest places on hands and feet,
dragging our horses after us. At the Beaumont we were joined by Mr A J Grant, one
of the station holders, who accompanied us to the Bend, some five miles further on;
our way lying along a bridle track through scenery that was full of interest and not
without its points of beauty. When we reached our destination we found a little
building which Mr Grant had recently had erected, and where he regularly, in the
absence of a minister, conducted Devine service every Sunday-filled to overflowing
with a bright-faced, intelligent audience, consisting largely of miners and their wives,
who fully appreciated the earnest and loving efforts which were made to promote their
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highest interests."

The "earnest and loving efforts made to promote [the parishioners] highest interests"
were not inconsiderable. The Rev R Telford's Sunday preaching circuit must have
taken the best part of the following week to recover from, "The Rev R Telford
preached on Sunday last at Beaumont in the morning, Raes Junction in the afternoon
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and McKays (Horseshoe Bend) in the evening", presumably returning to Beaumont
after the service.

The Teviot Communicants Roll Book for 1868-1911 lists the following members for
Horseshoe Bend:

16 Ross, Rev C.S. "The Story of the Otago Church and Settlement" Wise Caffin and Co. Publishers. Dunedin. 1887
17 Mount Benger Mail. 16.2.1881

© Jeff Robertson 20