From early days of farming in Natal Midlands, people were concerned about their religious devotion and instruction.   Transport and roads being what they were, made it difficult and time consuming to attend at St Luke’s in Howick.   A local church would solve the problem.

Records show that the ladies organized bazaars in March 1888 and January 1889 raising 66 pounds towards a building fund.   It was not until 1903 that sufficient funds were available and a decision was made to obtain a piece of land at Lidgetton and to build a church.   Mr William Taylor gave the present site on which a wood and iron building 35 feet by 20 feet was erected at a cost of 196 pounds plus an extra 5 pounds for a porch and95 pounds for finishing and fencing. The SPCK donated a bible in 1904.   Altar cloths were presented by Mrs Sutton.   This little church was consecrated by the Bishop of Natal on 10th December 1903.

A chancel and vestry were added in memory of Edith and Mary Mitchell-Innes in1923.   There are stained glass windows in the chancel, two on the left of the altar in memory of Ernest and Walter Burges (1924) depicting St George and St Matthew and those on the right showing Eunice and St Anne also in memory of the Mitchell-Innes family.

It is interesting to see the names of those responsible for the start of St Matthew’s:  Stedman Teasdale, Parkingson, Fannin, MacKenzie, Hart David and Lister.   These people in conjunction with the Bishop and Canon Burgess, The Rector of the Parish of Karkloof at the time decided on the name of the church, St Mattew’s.

In 1923 it was discovered that the church building was subsiding and with the passage of time the old building became unsafe so it was decided to completely demolish it.   The church that stands today, on a different site, was erected in 1953 at a total cost including new furniture of 2015 pounds, most of which was donated by the Mitchell-Innes family.

The church was consecrated by the Bishop of Natal in 1953.