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St Joseph's Cathedral, Dunedin

Those who know me know that wherever I go I need to check out anything that relates to ancestors and distant family members.

A holiday to New Zealand earlier in the year provided me with a few such opportunities. The first was a visit to St Joseph's Catholic Cathedral in Dunedin and St Joseph's Catholic Church in Queenstown.



Photo - Paul Kennedy

The obituary of Daniel William Woods states that he was the builder of St Joseph's Cathedral, Dunedin. 

Past Papers - Otago Daily Times 17 April 1923

The brochure I picked up at the cathedral states that Mr D.M. Woods built the choir loft in December 1883. The surrounds of the icon of the Our Lady of Perpetual Succour were designed by Mr F.W. Peter and constructed by Mr D.W. Woods. However, nowhere does it give details of the builder of the cathedral. 

A trip to Queenstown and a walk uphill to visit St Joseph's Catholic Church which was consecrated in 1898.




Daniel William Woods married Catherine Mary White in at St Joseph's, Hobart, Tasmania on 5th January 1865. Catherine was my great great grandmother Emma Seabrook's cousin. Daniel and Catherine had five children, one of whom John Daniel Woods married Florence Adeline Seabrook (Emma Seabrook's niece).

I believe (but yet to work out the exact connection) that Daniel was related to John Joseph Woods who composed the music to New Zealand's national anthem, God Defend New Zealand








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  1. RuthTFebruary 27, 2022 at 4:14 PM

    Hi, I'm just at the beginning of family research and will get more into it in Winter (July-ish). I'm the great-granddaughter of John Joseph Woods, and visited Lawrence at Christmas. Fantastic experience! Were Daniel and John brothers?

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