2004
- Resource Consent granted March 11, 2004
- Rathkeale/Mangaweka Blessing and Remembrance Ceremony in St Martin’s onsite in Mangaweka and St Martin’s chattels (furniture, altar brassware, Eucharist silver and linen were brought home in James Falloon’s horse float and a minivan. May 7, 2004
- Initially, the furniture is stored in the cricket pavilion but as time passes and it is clear that the Chapel will not arrive in time for the cricket season, it is all transferred to a shed down the Burma Road. The brassware and Eucharist silver, however, is put to immediate use. The Estey reed organ is stored outside the Chaplain’s office in the Rathkeale Auditorium building.
2005
- St Martin’s arrives at Rathkeale in three pieces at 1:15am, April 27, 2005, along with the windows which had been removed and were trucked down separately in a Borman’s vehicle. St Martin’s left Mangaweka on two trucks at 7pm and David Borman carefully followed the progress of the entourage, meeting them at Mt Bruce and accompanied them for the last section of the journey. A small group of supporters (R & S Prior, I Harrowfield, Rev’d L Greville, J Young and Rev’d S Ramage) waited at the Loopline and watched it pass by at midnight travelling at about 90km an hour. The third section arrived later on the 27th, one of the trucks having returned to Mangaweka at 8am to bring the Entrance/Sunday School section (to become the Narthex) to Rathkeale. April 26-27, 2005
- The chapel is then carefully restored into one piece over the next few days and finally rests on its new piles by April, 29, 2005.
- The windows are returned to the Chapel the next week. Extensive restoration is possible through the generosity of David Borman who donated the labour for both the preparation for the trip and the work required after wards. Gary Taylor worked tirelessly for a number of weeks to achieve this. April/May 2005
- A “temporary” interior wall separating the entrance from the old vestry is removed to form a Narthex suitable for conveying large numbers of boys into and out of the Chapel. May/June05
- Pinex removed from Sunday school room walls exposing more timber tongue and groove. Timber from the temporary wall in the Narthex is recycled to reinstate missing boards in a portion of the wall. Old carpet removed from the floor. May/June05
- The conduit fittings are removed and the chapel rewired ready for when the power supply is connected. June 2005
- A replica belfry is attached to the Nave roof. It was made from new timber using the old one as a template. The original fell to bits when removed from the church in Mangaweka in April and Gary Taylor salvaged the pieces to copy. The bell is installed and a “temporary” wire attached so the bell can be rung as the original rope was lost during the shift from Mangaweka. This wire remained in use until November 01, 2006. Belfry attached June 2005.
- Temporary wooden steps erected to allow visitors invited to Founder’s Day (Aug) to enter St Martin’s. Until then access had been by way of one of the Sunday School chairs. July 05
- Simon Cooper visits to demonstrate Cooper’s Restoration products and a small group start to strip St Martin’s interior wood.
- Regular Wednesday working bees commence using extension cords from the auditorium for power, heating and light. October 2005
- First of a number of borer bombings of St Martin’s
- Exterior water blasted and baseboards undercoated by Simon Prior October, 2005
- Chaplain (Sande) strips lectern. Litany Desk stripped and repair to front of ledge made by Kevin Wilson (father of Ben Year 11). November 2005
- First service held in St Martin’s – Reconciliation Service, November 14, 2005
- Chapel opened for Rathkeale Christmas Fest and some furniture is moved in. Frank Holland is volunteered by Jean and becomes a regular member of the team. November, 19, 2005.
2006
- Pulpit restored January, 2006
- All furniture now in St Martin’s in time for Trinity Staff/Boards Chapel Service, February 03, 2006 This includes the Founder’s Chapel fittings and furniture – the Foster wooden cross; the Turvey prayer desk, the Robertshawe credence shelf and the Founder’s credence table. 2006
- Night Prayer Starts in St Martin’s still without power – totally candlelight. Approx 20-25 boys, five staff, 4 parents. February 16, 2006
- The exterior painting of St Martin's is now completed by Simon. Roof is done using a cherry picker – February, weather boards by end April, 2006
- First Anzac Service in St Martin’s with David and Sue Sweet to lay wreath, April 7, 2006
- Altar rails removed to be stripped, restored and oiled and in the future put back in a manner which allows them to be removed easily, April 2006
- Frank Holland restores wood in Sanctuary and Chancel while Rob and Judy stripped and restored the Narthex. The final difficult Narthex wall was left to last. The wall which had once been the exterior back wall of the church before the entrance/vestry/Sunday School had been added in 1927, had oil-based exterior paint over which a stain has been applied to try and blend it in with the wood. It took weeks to strip that one wall, eventually exposing beautiful Totara. April - August, 2006
- Several weekend working bees held over the winter to augment the Wednesday working bees to facilitate the wood restoration. 2006
- Trench to carry power, water and phone line dug by Simon, July 06
- Lighting cables, water and phone cables laid. August 21, 2006.
- Water to the Chapel. Tap installed outside chapel for florists. August 26, 2006
- Trench filled in August 27, 2006
- Power connected and rudimentary lighting installed inside. Exterior light installed. Heating supplied by two small fan heaters. August 28, 2006
- Repair of holes in walls, missing corner pieces, gaps in floor and skirtings by Gary Taylor, August 31/September 01, 2006.
- Simon Prior oversaw a group of keen Rathkeale boys who spent time digging soak pits. Pizza and drink helped. Sunday, 03 September, 2006
- Altar goes to Kevin Wilson to be dismantled and remodelled so it can be used without altar drapery. September 06, 2006.
- Lighting pelmet installed September 7-12, 2006 and oiled September and October 2006
- The Chancel area has been fully restored. September 2006
- Mervyn Sweet plaque and East Window commemorative plaque restored and protective coating applied. September 2006
- Plumbing completed providing water to the Chapel cupboard October, 2006 and guttering replaced during Rathkeale Christmas Fest, November 11, 2006
- Floorboards in runner area, Chancel and Sanctuary and below the Chancel and Sanctuary steps are cleaned. Then the areas either side of the runner area and below the Chancel steps are oiled ready for the carpet to be laid. October 04-15, 2006
- Permanent interior lighting installed October 11-13, 2006 (Lighting and plumbing project paid for by grant from HB William’s Trust).
- The narthex has had the floor stripped during August 2006, sanded October 05, 2006 and first of four coats of Danish Oil applied, October 12, 2006, final coat October 21, 2006.
- Wooden cross above East window goes with Tom Wyeth to be copied for altar cross and one in Chaplain’s study. October 12, 2006
- Simon Cooper assists with the restoration of the wooden exterior door October 12, 2006
- Brass plate fitted to the wooden door. October 12, 2006
- Porch painted October 12-14
- First Baptism, October 15, 2006
- Wooden step at the door is restored, Labour Weekend, 2006
- Narthex Cupboard restored inside and the Don Foster cross is attached to the Narthex wall above the exterior door. October 23, 2006
- The St Martin's lectern has been fully restored along with other pieces of St Martin's taonga. The St Mark’s lectern (THT Sanctuary) also restored by the Chapel team (October 18/19, 2006 and rebuilt by Rathkeale Old Boy Tony Kilmister. October 24, 2006
- Frank Holland spent time during the year making a fixture for the candle snuffer. 2006
- St Martin’s light fittings changed from conduit and restored and re-installed in Narthex (2 – centre light and above notice-board) and lantern in the porch above the wooden door. October 27, 2006
- Sunday School chair restored and seat recovered in red leather, October, 2006
- Wooden cross sitting behind the Pulpit, lost during the restoration is replaced. End October 2006
- Rope supplied and attached by Andy Pottinger for new bell-pull. November 01, 2006
- A new notice-board is added to wall of Narthex, November, 2006.
- New cross on front gable of St Martin’s made by Gary Taylor and installed by Ricky Brown, November 03, 2006
- East Window restored, removed October 16, 2006, reinstated November 02, 2006
- Protective covers over the two stained glass windows and 5 of other the leadlight windows, November 02, 2006 (Both window projects paid by a grant from Lotteries Heritage Fund)
- Steps laid and porch built in time for the reconsecration, in accordance with the wishes of the late Bill Clinton-Baker. This was made possible by two substantial donations from private sources. Porch roof built September 2006. Porch base and steps maid October 12 – November 01, 2006
- Chapel carpet paid for by the Old Boys laid during Rathkeale Christmas Fest, November 04, 2006
- Plumber attached new guttering to replace copper guttering stolen during shift during Rathkeale Christmas Fest, November 04, 2006
- Down-pipes attached to guttering and drains to soak-pits, November 07, 2006
- Four pews from the Founder’s Chapel repaired and altered to fit in St Martin’s 06/07
- St Martin’s re-consecrated, as St Martin’s on the Close by The Right Rev’d Dr Thomas Brown, Bishop of Wellington and Visitor to Rathkeale, November 10, 2006
2007
- The Chaplain’s study is now complete having had all the walls stripped and oiled and ceiling painted. Stripping and oiling early-mid January 07, carpet (paid for by general donation) laid February 1, 2007, ceiling stopping and painting August 07
- Chaplain moves into St Martin’s study February 03, 2007
- The Estey Reed Organ received a complete overhaul earlier this year, including new carpet on pedals to match chapel carpet. June 01-03, 2007
- Brass plaques commemorating the Re-consecration of St Martin's in 2006 have been added to the outside of the church beside the door in the porch. June 2007The organ stool has been recovered July, 2007
- Kevin Wilson has kindly rebuilt the altar for St Martin's. The original tongue and groove was dismantled; dressed and glued together so new panels could be created. Boards with borer or damage were rejected. The width was slightly decreased and the height lowered. The wood from 2 broken St Martin’s pews was used to create the detail in the panelling and one side panel is made from wood salvaged from a St Matthew’s Collegiate renovation in Big House. The shelf came from wood rescued by David Borman from the old Pioneer Hotel. Kevin donated the two drawers and turned the knobs. The altar was oiled four times over several months. Returned June 12, 2007
- Andrew Woodhouse (old boy) made a wooden stand for the Thurible with the fine detail matching that of the St Martin's lectern. July 2007
- Tom Wyeth built a cross from local timber milled from a log which had lain in the Waipoua River for hundreds of years and was salvaged by his father a number of years ago. Another larger one also created from the same timber and made by Tom resides in the Chaplain’s study October 2007. A third one was made by him for Sande’s installation as Army Chaplain at Linton Camp (2nd Engineers) in April 2008.
- Frank Holland made a fee-standing stand for the THT Sanctuary candle snuffer during 2007.
- Lower back wall of Nave nearly completed and panel which formerly housed light fitting now over notice-board restored.
2008
- A Chapel garden was started with donated plants from Masterton Medical’s garden. Jan 03, 2008
- The Friends of Rathkeale donated money for a path and hard surface area (The Lambeth?) outside St Martin’s on the Close in early 2008. This work is pending.
- Bird guano and nesting material accumulated over the last 100 years is to be removed as it is a fire hazard and prevents the completion of the interior lighting project. We suspect, however, that is has provided quite effective insulation which may need to be replaced with a more modern version.
- Vented heating provided by heat pumps is to be installed in the Chapel and the Chaplain’s study in time for winter and will replace the inefficient and potentially dangerous fan heaters currently used. The vented system will mean the Chapel is warm in winter and cooled in summer.
- 2008 - Restoration work presently focuses on finishing off the walls and windows in the main body of the church. Work will also begin on stripping and restoring the pews.
- On-going maintenance includes cleaning the weather boards twice a year, removing the protective window covers to clean away the accumulated dust and insects, keeping the steps clear of moss, removing leaves from the guttering regularly in autumn/winter and regular dusting, oiling, sweeping and vacuuming of all internal areas.