In the mid 1860's one of the early white settlers in Natal named John King, gave a portion of his farm near present day Nottingham Road, to be set aside for the construction of a Presbyterian Church. King's farm was called Gowrie, which led to the church being named St.John's Gowrie. St John's Gowrie Presbyterian Church is one of many iron and wood buildings to be found the Midlands area. These buildings were ordered from a catalogue and shipped out in kit form to southern hemisphere countries, from England in the 1800's.