Halkett Presbyterian Church opened its doors on 26 October, 1873. Newspapers of the day said it could seat 100 people. It was situated almost in the centre of Halkett, a rural area between West Melton and Courtenay that was formerly a large sheep run. The Church is situated on Halkett Road

Halkett gets its name from a Captain Halkett, who purchased a large chunk of land in the area, and also presented land for a school to be built.

There are two places of worship within the boundaries of Halkett; St Matthew’s, an Anglican church, and this Presbyterian church.

The adjoining cemetery is small, and contains the remains of some of the area’s earliest settlers including McKay, Whyte, Henderson and Ford.

Interestingly, the minute books for Halkett Presbyterian Church prior to 1887 are missing and, as far as I am aware, have yet to be found. According to the New Zealand Presbyterian archives, “Efforts by the resident Minister as late as 1984 to uncover the records proved fruitless”.

High-resolution photographs of gravestones are available, plus one or two of the cemetery/church if applicable. This includes a full transcription, particularly for those stones that are hard to read or eroded.

Please consider a small donation to keep the site and the work going

Email me for gravestone images: moorfnz@gmail.com

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CALDER, Alexander and Robert (d. 22nd December, 1904). Both accidently drowned at Motanau. Ages 27 and 12 respectively. Also Annie their sister who died at 6 years on 21st June 1896.

CALDER, Alexander Benjamin (d. 5th March, 1993). Also his wife Gwendoline Lucy (d. 3rd September, 2000).

ELSTOB, Basil John (d. 13th May, 1997). Age 57. Also his wife, Heather Mary (nee McKay) (d. 25th April, 2009).

HENDERSON, Henry Arthur (d. 8th March, 1914). Age 20. Also his brother, Gilbert (d. 30th December, 1938). Age 57. Both sons of Gilbert and Margaret Henderson.

HENDERSON, William David (d. 8th February, 2006).

HERON, John (d. 3rd August, 1890). Age 54. Also his son James Heron (d. 24th January, 1885). Age 1 year and 9 months.

JULIAN, Ann Doreen (nee CALDER) (d. 15th January, 2009). Wife of David Symons Julian.

MACKAY, Alexander (d. 20th March, 1911). Age 86.

MACKAY, George (d. 27th July, 1925). Also his wife Mary (d. 22nd May, 1951). Age 91. Also their infant son John.

MACKAY, Margaret (d. 7th December, 1915). Age 80. Wife of Alexander Mackay.

MAILER, David (d. 27th March, 1886). Age 28. Youngest son of John Mailer, farmer of Doune, Scotland.

McKAY, Angus Hector (d. 14th March, 1969). Age 65. Also his wife, Marjorie Sybil Jean (d. 23rd May, 2001). Age 89.

McKAY, Charles Stewart (d. 19th February, 1969). Also his wife, May (d. 24th August, 1984).

McKAY, Donald (d. 8th September, 1990). Also his wife Beryl Janet (d. 20th November, 2007).

McMEEKAN, Annie Joan (d. 22nd September, 1939). Age 29. Also their infant son Hamilton. Also Letitia A McMeekan, wife of William Edward McMeekan (d. 24th October, 1950) (same date as her husband, below?).

McMEEKAN, William Edward (Sgt.) (d. 24th October, 1950).

OAKLEY, John (d. 16th January, 1896). Age 43. Also his son John Edward (d. 5th February 1881). Age 4. Also his wife Emma (d. 6th August, 1929). Age 77. Also Mary Peagram (d. 27th May, 1898). Age 81.

PASCOE, Jean Kathleen (d. 14th August, 1988). Also her husband, Albert (d. 30th October, 2005).

PETRIE, Charles (d. 27th November, 1981). Also his wife Mary Isobel (d. 6th March, 2001).

SAUNDERS, Alan Derrick (d. 29th January, 2004). Husband of Margaret Jane (Peggy).

SYME, Harriett Ann (d. 30th June, 1950).

TAYLOR, William John (d. 9th May, 1899). Age 68. Also his son, William John (d. 11th September, 1891). Age 22. Also their son James Taylor (d. 15th February, 1912). Age 33. Also his wife Anne (d. 23rd January, 1918). Age 75.

THOMSON, Mary McCallum (d. 4th May, 1898). Age 68. Wife of David Thomson.

THOMSON, William (d. 22nd January, 1927). Age 74. A native of the Shetland Islands. Also his wife, Isabella Susannah (d. 4th April, 1929). Age 61.

WHYTE, Arthur William (d. 7th March, 1888). Age 16. Also his brother David Mailer Whyte (d. 17th August, 1902). Age 16.5 years. Also their brother Arthur James Whyte (d. 9th December, 1906). Age 18. All sons of William and Mary Ann Whyte.

WHYTE, Francis (d. 10th January, 1940). Age 50. Husband of Catherine Whyte and son of Peter Whyte.

WHYTE, Mary Jane (d. 28th May, 1928). Age 78. Wife of Peter Whyte.

WHYTE, Peter (d. 9th December, 1913). Age 73.

WHYTE, William (d. 23rd April, 1915). Age 76. Also his wife Mary Ann (d.22nd December, 1923). Also their son, Frederick George (d. 19th August, 1920). Age 50.

WYBER, Donald Stewart (d. 14th September, 2010). Age 68.