All Saints’ Anglican Church unveiled the new window commemorating Rev Arnold Spencer-Smith who had a role to play in Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition.
People from around the world tuned in through live streams online to witness the unveiling in a mass at the church on Saturday.
However, the Aurora broke from its mooring in the Antarctic and drifted for 11 months before limping into Port Chalmers, Canon Wallace said.
He said the men left in the Antarctic had to rely on supplies left over from Captain Robert Falcon Scott's previous expedition to the Antarctic and made clothes from old sails.
"They were thinking this is a life and death mission we’re on so that Shackleton will be OK, but meanwhile their ship the Aurora with all the supply had drifted off, so they were stuck there with very few supplies."
The ship was repaired in Port Chalmers and Sir Ernest, who had made it to New Zealand by then, returned to Antarctica with it to save its remaining crew.
The stained-glass window at All Saints’ featured two tall, thin lancets with Mr Spencer-Smith and Aurora. It was designed by Jenna Packer and made by Peter McKenzie.
The church had inherited Eucharist vessels, a chalice and a paten that belonged to Mr Spencer-Smith.
His cousin, who was the vicar at All Saints’ from 1964 to 1980 had brought them to the church, Canon Wallace said.
They were regularly used by the church, including the commemorative Mass on Saturday.
Canon Wallace said the window had been a community effort costing about $80,000 that was raised by auctioning donated art, help from the Rotary club and donors from around the world.
He said the church would be open all day, every day and welcomed people to come and have a look at the window.
People from around the world were already adding it to their lists of places to visit when they came to New Zealand, he said.
