Painted on the end of St Peters Anglican Church hall, this mural commemorates events of October 15, 1883 which was to become an auspicious occasion for the Katikati Anglican Community. It was the day their brand new St Peter’s Church was to be consecrated by Bishop E C Stuart of Waiapu, but Presbyterian builder William John Gray had other ideas. The church building committee owed his firm Messrs Simms and Gray a final payment of 30 pounds and Gray refused to hand over the keys until the money was paid, locking out the Bishop and congregation. Instead the Bishop, assisted by Rev E J McFarland, conducted a service elsewhere (probably across the road at No 2 school building).

Katikati was not a wealthy settlement and the community had struggled to raise the money to build the church. It was to be May 11, 1884 before St Peter’s held its first church service and May 17, 1884 before Messrs Simms and Gray received their final payment.

The images in the mural are a mixture of historical people who may have been present, and prominent but more recent, local residents.