A destination decades in the making

For 150 years, it has stood watch over Invercargill. Its bell has marked celebrations and farewells. The stained-glass windows have filtered generations of morning light. Beneath soaring Gothic arches, families have gathered through times of happiness, hardship, peace and war.

Now, one of Southland’s most significant heritage buildings embarks on a new chapter.

Bayleys Southland’s Leanne Sutherland, together with colleague Dave Robinson, is marketing St Paul’s Church, occupying a prominent 1,518sqm (more or less) site at 178 Dee Street, for sale by tender, closing at 1:00 pm on Tuesday, 4th August 2026 (will not be sold prior).

Sutherland says the opportunity presents investors, owner-occupiers, and community groups with a rare opportunity to secure one of the region’s most recognisable heritage landmarks.

Completed in 1876 to the designs of celebrated local architect Frederick William Burwell, St Paul’s remains the city’s oldest surviving Presbyterian church. Hardie Hall accompanies the Category II Historic Place, added during the 1950s, with the combined complex representing almost 150 years of civic, architectural and spiritual history.

The substantial 477sqm (more or less) building occupies a commanding position along the city’s principal arterial route, where its Gothic Revival architecture, bell tower, stained-glass windows and finely crafted timber detailing characterise the northern entrance to Invercargill’s CBD.

Sutherland says the enquiry so far has come from a diverse mix of potential purchasers, reflecting the broad appeal of heritage buildings that can support community, cultural and charitable uses, alongside carefully considered commercial opportunities.

“The buyers we’re talking to all see the value in keeping a building like this alive. They want to respect its history while finding a new use that allows it to remain part of the community.

“Buildings like St Paul’s are incredibly special,” she says. “It has been a part of Invercargill’s story for generations. The workmanship, character and history are all things you cannot replicate today.”

The property is offered to the market as confidence continues to strengthen across Southland, with substantial public and private investment reshaping Invercargill’s city centre and wider economy. Major civic projects, manufacturing, renewable energy and logistical initiatives, together with the region’s diversified agricultural base, are underpinning confidence in long-term investment.

Against the backdrop, heritage buildings and enduring community assets offer the potential to become projects with long-term purpose.

Bayleys Southland’s Dave Robinson says St Paul’s offers a compelling opportunity for a new custodian to steward an important part of the region’s history.

“Very few buildings combine this level of historical, architectural and community significance,” he says. “The next owner has the opportunity to preserve something that has shaped generations of Southlanders, while thoughtfully exploring its future within the framework of its heritage protections.”

The church is offered with much of its existing furniture, fittings and chattels remaining in place. Engineering assessments identifying strengthening requirements are available to prospective purchasers. At the same time, any future alterations will require approval under its Category II heritage status, together with the relevant Invercargill City Council processes governing any change of use.

For Sutherland, those considerations are inseparable from the property’s enduring appeal. “This is the sort of opportunity that comes along once in a generation. It tells a story of the city and generations who have cared for it, and it is now time for a new owner to appreciate that legacy and steer it in a new direction.”