St. John's Anglican Church , Invercargill, was originally erected about forty-four years ago. With the rapid increase of settlement grew also the wants of the parish, and in 1837 a new edifice of brick and stone was commenced, providing seating accommodation for 000 worshippers. The organ—a sweet-toned instrument—cost £250, and is presided over by Mr. Charles Gray, a musician of great ability. Additions since made to the organ cost £1000.

The Venerable Archdeacon Harry Stocker , B.A., Vicar of St. John's Anglican Church, Invercargill, was born in East Kent, England, in 1840, and is the eldest son of Mr. H. Stocker. He was educated at King's College, London, was a theological associate of that college, gained his B.A. degree at Trinity College, Dublin, was ordained deacon in 1868 and admitted to priest's orders in 1869 by the Bishop of Winchester. After acting as curate at Kingsclere, Hampshire, for five years, he left, for New Zealand and arrived in Christ-church in 1873. Archdeacon Stocker's first charge in the Colony was that of the Lincoln district; subsequently, he became curate of Akaroa, was appointed vicar of St. John's, Invercargill, in 1882, and eventually was made Archdeacon of Invercargill. He takes an active interest in educational and social affairs, is chaplain of the Grand Lodge of Freemasons of New Zealand, and has a similar appointment in the Invercargill City Guards.

St. Paul's Presbyterian Church , Invercargill, is a handsome brick building in Gothic style, erected at a cost of over £5000, and is capable of accommodating about 800 people. The foundation stone was laid on the 3rd of March, 1876, by the Rev. A. H. Stobo, minister of the First Church. Invercargill, and was opened for public worship on the 10th of December in the same year by the Rev. Dr. Salmond, of Dunedin.

Rev. George Lindsay , Minister of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, was inducted into the pastoral charge in 1888, and under his ministry the church has continued to prosper. There is now a well-organised congregation of about 300 members, a fully equipped Sunday school, large Christian Endeavour Society, Band of Hope, Literary Society, and other societies all in a flourishing condition. Mr Lindsay is ably supported by an excellent staff of office-bearers.

Knox Presbyterian Church , Invercargill, is situated in Conon Street. Services were begun in the Appleby schoolroom on the 18th of January, 1903; in May of the same year the building was removed to the present site in Conon Street, and on the 7th of June it was reopened for divine worship. In February, 1904, it was found necessary to enlarge the hall, and it will now accommodate about 320 people. There is a Sunday school with 105 scholars, in charge of fifteen teachers; and the Band of Hope has a membership of over a hundred children. Morning and evening services are held in the church every Sunday, and there is also a week-night meeting every Wednesday.

The Rev. Francis Wallace Dunlop , M.A., Ph.D., Minister in charge of Knox Church, Invercargill, is a son of the Rev. Professor John Dunlop, D.D., of the Presbyterian Theological Hall, Dunedin, and was born in 1875, at Dundee, Scotland. In 1887 he arrived with his parents at Dunedin, via Australia, and studied at the Otago Boys' High School, the University of Otago, and the Theological Hall. Afterwards he visited Germany, and continued his studies for three sessions. Dr. Dunlop graduated B.A. in 1898 at the University of Otago, and M.A. with first class honours in Mental Science, in the following year. In 1903 he took the Ph.D. degree at the University of Jena with high distinction, and returned to New Zealand in September of that year. He was called to Knox Church, Invercargill, and was inducted on the 5th of January, 1904

The Roman Catholic Parish Of Invercargill originally included the whole of Southland, and continued to do so from its foundation, in 1863, till 1882. In that year it was divided into three parishes; namely, Invercargill, Riverton and Gore. In 1893 Winton was made a separate parish, and Riversdale and Wreys' Bush in 1900; so that now there are, in all, six parishes in Southland. The parish of Invercargill as now constituted includes the town, and extends from the Bluff to the West Plains. The church, which is known as St. Joseph's, occupies a site which has a frontage to Tyne and Eye Streets. It was erected in 1904, in the Byzantine style of architecture, and is of brick, with white stone facings. It has seating room for 700 persons, and the building, without the land, cost £6,000. It was designed by Mr. F. W. Petre, architect, of Dunedin. St. Joseph's Girls' School, the parish school, and St. Catherine's Convent adjoin the church. The original church in Invercargill was erected in 1863, and is a wooden building capable of holding 400 persons. It was named St. Mary's, and stands on half-an-acre of land, in Clyde Street. This building adjoins the old Presbytery which is now used for the Marist Brothers' school, which was founded in 1897. There are three Brothers in charge, and the pupils average 100 in number.

The Very Rev. Dean William Burke , V.F., has been in charge of the Invercargill parish since October, 1896. He was born in Waterford, Ireland, in 1856, was ordained in 1879, and accompanied the late Bishop Moran to Dunedin, in 1882. Dean Burke was stationed in Port Chalmers and Queenstown, successively, before his transference to Invercargill.

The Elles Road Primitive Methodist Church was erected about the year 1890. The site consists of three-quarters of an acre of land, and the church is a wood and iron building, with seating accommodation for 300 persons. This is insufficient for the requirements of the congregation, and the managers intend to make enlargements. There is a nourishing Sunday school, with 220 names on the roll, and an average attendance of 180 children, who are in the care of fifteen teachers. The parsonage is alongside the church, and is a comfortable wood and iron residence of seven rooms. The entire property is surrounded with ornamental trees.

The Rev. Arthur Pybus , who is in charge of the second Primitive Methodist circuit in Invercargill, was born in Middles borough, England, in 1874. He arrived in Wellington with his parents, in 1880, by the ship “Caroline,” and was educated in that city, where he commenced to study for the ministry. He was ultimately received as a home missionary, and served in that capacity at Cheviot and on the West Coast for two years. Having been received as a probationer, he was one year in Wellington, and was stationed at Invercargill in 1897. Mr. Pybus was ordained in 1901 in Auckland. He was married, in 1903, to a daughter of the late Mr. H. G. Lister, of Invercargill, commercial traveller.

Gerstenkorn, photo.Rev. A. Pybus.

The Church Of Christ in Bowmont Street is the outcome of meetings originally held at the end of the fifties. In 1867 a visiting evangelist passed through Invercargill, but there were members prior to that date. The church was erected in 1887 on a quarter of an acre of land, and the first resident evangelist arrived in page 823 1889. The building, which is of wood and iron, will accommodate 140 persons, and services are held twice oil each Sunday. Then is a Sunday school with 120 children, in charge of ten teachers. Services are held by the evangelist at the Old Men's Home, as well as at the church in Bowmont street.