In 1864 settlers built a church which was controlled by the Wesleyan Methodists and named the Kaukapakapa Methodist Church. Although primarily a Methodist church, it was used by all denominations. Early settlers, brothers Edward, John and Morris Henley were sons of a Methodist Minister and over the years provided significant support to the church and community.



In 1867, the Crown granted the land to Edward Clark Henley (Grant No. 34739, 22 Jan 1867) who then gifted the land to the church. The gift was not legalised until the 30th May 1871 (Deed No. 43624). John Henley built a house for the first resident Methodist Minister the Rev. Thomas Jagger. His brother Morris Henley was involved in land purchases to extend the site of the churchyard.



Mrs Rix, the wife of the first mail courier, was the first person laid to rest in the churchyard in 1864 and her headstone still stands today (2020). Previously, a distant cemetery further up Peak Road (Cemetery Reserve) had been used for two burials. However, the convenience of using the churchyard resulted in Cemetery Reserve not being using further. By 1884 the churchyard grounds were marked out to provide uniformity to the burial plan.



The Trustees of the Church cemetery wrote to the Waitemata County Council in 1905 stating that the cemetery was filling up due to allowing anyone to be buried there. They stated they were closing the cemetery to those not connected to the church or with friends buried there. Later in the same year through a subscription, adjoining land was purchased to extend the burial area and allow the public to be buried there again.



Mr John Sinclair was the first Sexton and kept careful records of burials. Unfortunately, the register was destroyed during a fire while in safe keeping in the safe of F. Dye & Sons general store, Kaukapakapa. Fortunately, a handwritten copy was kept and able to provide some historical burial information.



The church is now known as All Saints Kaukapakapa, a shared church of Anglican and Methodist faith. It is administered by the Anglican Diocese of Auckland, New Zealand.



Postal Address: PO Box 87, Helensville, Auckland 0840, New Zealand