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Story: Scots

Monument to the first Presbyterian service, Petone

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Monument to the first Presbyterian service, Petone

In 1840 two shiploads of Scots arrived at the infant settlement of Wellington. They were under the pastoral care of the Reverend John Macfarlane, who gave New Zealand's first Presbyterian service on board the ship Bengal Merchant. An Iona cross on the Petone foreshore, dedicated on the centenary of this service, 23 February 1940, commemorates the occasion.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

by John Wilson

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John Wilson, Scots – 1840–1852: organised settlement, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/208/monument-to-the-first-presbyterian-service-petone (accessed 11 June 2026).

Story by John Wilson, published 4 March 2009, updated 1 August 2024.