100 Years of St Chads: Lu Quin

100 years of St Chads

In 1920, Mr W. T. Williams donated £200 for a church hall to be built at the south end of Rotorua. After five years of fundraising, and a generous donation from Mr A. G. Christopher, the Devon Street Hall opened on the corner of Devon Street and Fenton Street in 1925. It later became known as St Chads Church, and remains on the same site to this day, although much extended, providing a base for St Chads Trust.  

Why is Lucilla (Lu) Quin important to the 100-year history St Chads? 

Those living in Rotorua hear the phrase “St Chads” and picture a place of learning and connection; an organisation that enables tāngata whaikaha / people with disabilities to gain greater independence. This is thanks to the strong foundations built by Lu Quin.  

In 1977, using funding from the Ministry of Recreation and Sport, Lu Quin established “St Chad’s Musicommunication”. Her founding philosophy was inspirational. Lu was driven by providing care, support and opportunities for people with disabilities, and a belief in the power of music to communicate and to change people’s lives (...). It was not until 1980 that Lu and her team of volunteers moved into the church building, keen to find a permanent base for their activities. In 1982, she became the coordinator of the centre and supported the formation of St Chads Communication Centre Trust. That same year, her work supporting the Rotorua community was rewarded with a Queen's Service Medal. 

Who was Lu Quin? 

Lu Quin was born in 1918 to Martin Haywood Hampson, a practising lawyer, and Katherine Hand Hampson née Rogan, who was a descendant of John Rogan – the first judge of the Māori Land Court. Lu was raised in Glenholme and witnessed its transformation from a rural area – with a famously dusty road – to the suburb we know today. The family property was on the corner of Ranolf Street and Malfroy Road. Lu Quin married Oswald Joseph Quin Oswald in 1965. He was a little older and had three children from a previous marriage.  

It seems likely that, as a child, Lu would have visited what was then the “Devon Street Hall” and is now the oldest part of the St Chads building. In the 1920s, the structure was used as a church, a Sunday school and for community gatherings. It was only a 20-minute walk from the Hampson homestead. That little girl would be amazed to learn that a new hall, steps away from the original, was named after her, in honour of her life’s work and passing in 2008.  

To learn more about Lu’s life and work click on the other images in this display. 

A love of music 

It’s amazing what music can do – it means of communication between people of different languages and people who don't speak at all. - Lu Quin 

Lu grew up in an environment that nurtured a love of music. Her father was the choirmaster for Rotorua Māori Choir, and one of her fondest memories was hearing the local nuns singing at the stroke of midnight each New Year. Lu carried this passion into her adult life. 

While volunteering for the IHC Society in the 1970s, she developed a method for learning to play musical instruments using a musical alphabet. You can learn more about the method through her book title “Matching music: the Quin way: a simple system for all ages”, which can be found in the Don Stafford Room on the Second Floor of Rotorua Library.  

In 1974, Lu Quin was lucky to attend a course led by renowned music-therapists Paul Nordoff and Clive Robbins. She incorporated this learning into her music lessons for adults in Rotorua for many years to come. 

This story was written by Abby (1 February 2025)

References

Allen, P. (1996). Rotorua people 1880s to 1940s: living south of the old railway: Glenholme area to Whakarewarewa. Author.

Quin, L. (1990). Matching Music: the Quin way: a simple system for all ages. Author.

St Chads (2005). The Changing Role of St Chads. St Chads.

St Chads (n.d.), Who we are. https://stchads.co.nz/who-we-are/