This colonial cottage was built in 1872 by James Ralston Wyllie and his wife Kate. As their family grew to eight children they extended the house but, interestingly, it never had a kitchen venting chimney and it’s thought that Kate, of Maori background, did her cooking outdoors. There’s nothing outstanding about the cottage but, restored, it is a good example of kauri-shingled vertical board and batten: pleasingly simple.
It took a long time for New Zealanders to understand the idea of 'heritage', they generally wanted to kick out the old and bring in the new until the mood changed after about 100 years of European settlement. Thus with Wyllie cottage: it almost disappeared because the then owners, Gisborne Council, didn't want it but in 1970 it was rescued by local citizens and restored.
© DONDONOVAN
donovan@ihug.co.nz
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