One of the defining landmarks in Timaru, the present church was built in three stages in 1880, consecrated in 1886, with the distinct tower added in 1910.

On 9 September 1880, Henry Jacobs, the Dean of Christchurch, laid the foundation stone for a replacement church, designed by William Armson in Gothic Revival style.

[4] The quality of Sibly's work was found wanting by an arbitration court and he cancelled his contract.

[12][13] The architectural firm of Collins and Harman provided an alternate design for the square tower.

On 4 April 1985, St Mary's was registered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust as a Category I building, with registration number 328.

[1] In 2011, during the Christchurch earthquake, one of the tower's four pinnacles fell down, prompting the removal of the other three for safety reasons.