The church was built from Oamaru stone in 1897 to accommodate the growing parish of Duntroon which then stretched from Omarama in the west to Tokarahi in the south.
The name St Magnus came from the church on the island of Egilsay in the Orkney Islands. Many families living in the district at the time came from the Orkneys.
The church originally had a bell tower but it had to be removed as it caught too much wind and was weakening the structure.
Horses were the mode of transport when the church was built, with meetings often being organised for the full moon period, as carriage lights were ineffective for lighting the way.
Over the years, the church has closed its doors twice temporarily - once for the 1919 influenza epidemic and again in 1998 when numbers were low.
Duntroon is part of the Waitaki parish, which will still have worship centres at Tokarahi, Papakaio and Eveline.
Sixteen long-term and many short-term ministers have called Duntroon home. The future of the building has not been determined.
All past ministers and members of the congregation were invited to a service of thanksgiving at St Magnus on March 28 at 11am, preceded by morning tea.
The service of closing will be held on April 25 at 11am.
