Knox Presbyterian Church was established in 1852. The arrival of the first minister Rev. William Dron marked the beginning of the parish ministry from the timber church in Lower Hutt . 

​

After Rev. William Dron came the Rev. John Thom who was called to serve as Minister from 1858.

​

The position of Minister was vacant for around five years before Rev. William McGowen was sent to New Zealand from Scotland, he began in January of 1866.

​

In July of 1870 William McGowen left and the church ministers role was again vacant for another 13 years. Through this time, the first ordained minister at St. John's Church in Wellington Rev. John Moir stepped in and guided the church from 1870-1878

A student minister, Mr. George Grant, took over from John Moir for the next three years.

Another student minister came after George Grant, this was William Grant.

In 1883, William Grant departed and a call was made to Mr. David D. Rodger who originally came to New Zealand to serve at a church in Napier.

 

During the 1880s the church cemetery was a popular burial place for Lower Hutt residents, so much so that overcrowding forced the Session to change the rules in 1885 and grant allotments only to members in good standing in the church. Session was not to know that six years later when Lower Hutt became a borough, the new borough council would pass a resolution prohibiting interments in any private cemetery within the borough except in special circumstances. This meant after 1892 very little use was made of the Knox Blackbridge Cemetery.

More history around the Knox Blackbridge Cemetery can be found here.

​

In June 1888 Mr Rodger left and the next year came Rev. W.M. Fell, and also in April 1890 the Rev. John Walter Hope also came from Scotland to be ordained in the Hutt.

It was Rev. John Hope that a few months after his arrival opened the new church building and with this came the new name of the parish Knox Presbyterian Church.

Sadly, John Hope died during his ministry in June 1892 and was buried in the church cemetery. A replacement was found in the Andrew Gray in 1893. 

Rev. Edwin Eldridge was the next minister to be inducted at Knox in 1900, however due to his wife's ill health he left in 1901.

​

In 1902 Rev. William Marshall came to Knox and sent the next seven years as minister until 1909 where he went to Southland.

​

In the life of any organisation certain people stand out above the rest, Rev. James McCaw who started his 23 years as Minister of Knox church in July 1909 is one of those. 

​

Rev. John Thomson Macky who was serving in the Dannevirke Church was then called to Knox in 1933. His father also Rev. John Macky was the first Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in New Zealand.

​

The church was in good shape when Rev. Macky took over, besides the church, and manse there was also thee halls where activities took place catering for all aspects of church life. One hall, which is now called the Fellowship Hall,  was the Primary Department of the Sunday School, was fronted onto Kings Crescent, this was opened in June 1931, before being moved in 1957 to is current position behind the church building. During this time there was also two tennis courts and keen members of the Knox Tennis Club. 

​

The outbreak of War in 1939 increased the responsibilities of Rev. Macky so the Wellington Presbytery appointed an assistant to aid him, this was Sister Elizabeth Allan, a deaconess, she arrived in Lower Hutt originally for a year in February 1942.

​

In 1944 three sections of land were purchased at the corner of Treadwell and Rata Streets in Naenae. Sister Allan was asked to pioneer this. The first building on the Naenae Church land was a small hall  which was opened and dedicated on Saturday the 2nd of February 1946.

​

Sadly, 19 days later in his travels from Naenae back to Knox Rev. John Macky died at the wheel of his car.

​

While the church was well served by Sister Allan and other dedicated laymen, they searched for a minister to continue the work of the parish. Just returning from service overseas as a chaplain with the New Zealand Army was young minister Edward Francis Farr

​