St John's is the oldest remaining Selwyn church on the North Shore in Auckland. Originally a daughter church in the parish of Devonport, accessed by boat from Little Shoal Bay by pioneer parishioners. Bishop Selwyn, the first Bishop of New Zealand, dedicated the church on 24 June 1860, the feast day of John the Baptist. St John's has spacious grounds with several old oak trees.

The original Selwyn church was a typical rural model - a rectangular nave with an eastern chancel and western porch. This original old nave is seen in this turn of the last century photo showing the additional higher transepts that were added during the first forty years

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In 1913 further extensions were made to raise the roof line, adding aisles and the now distinctive belfry. While more space was created some of the "Selwyn" character was lost.