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1. WHITBY LODGE
330 Parnell Road
 Map
Many claims have been made for the early origin of this house, but Stacpoole
reports that the recorded evidence points to its having been build around
1874 for Fraser of Fraser & Tinne, engineers, on land acquired from
Hulme Court. Its stone construction is of special interest.
2. HULME COURT
350 Parnell Road
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Believed to be the oldest Auckland building on its original site. This
elegant house in the Regency manner was build in 1843 for Sir Frederick
Whitaker, later Attorney General and Premier. Constructed of bluestone
(which has since been plastered) it has a hipped slate roof, and was one
surrounded by a finely detailed trellis work veranda, now partly obscured
by additions. It was purchased by Lieutenant Colonel Hulme, commander
of the local British forces. In the 1850s it served temporarily as Government
House, and later Bishop Selwyn lived here.
3. PARNELL LIBRARY BUILDING
390 Parnell Road
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Designed by architect M K Draffin, in the classical manner, and built
in 1924. Attached was a community hall, which contains a highly attractive
and colourful plaster ceiling. Prior to the construction of the library,
a fire tower stood on the site, and the local library was housed in the
Parnell Council buildings across the road.
4. KEMPS DEPARTMENT STORE
413-427 Parnell Road
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Commanding the junction of St Stephens Avenue with Parnell Road is the
handsome wooden building that was Kemps Department Store. Now with five
ground floor shops below the veranda, its facade above shows a strong
pattern of arched windows in pairs under pediments. Kemps Store operated
as merchants, tailors, drapers, milliners and mercers, with workrooms
upstairs. It was destablished in 1885 and was considered the best all
round store in Auckland. It was said to have "wakened up sleepy Parnell
to a sense of what up to date business premises should be like".
5. SELWYN LIBRARY, BISHOPS COURT, 8 St Stephens Avenue
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A group of beautiful wooden buildings built 1861-63 to the design of
Frederick Thatcher in his characteristic timber Gothic style. First came
the library,
then the adjoining baptistry and bell tower, then the Bishop's house
and chapel, all grouped round an entrance court open on one side. John
Stacpoole
calls it "a most remarkable piece of planning" and refers to
"Thatcher's felicities of ingeniously controlled roofs, introduced
gables, and windows... he made full use of roofs of broken pitch - roofs
which flatten out toward the eaves."
6. NELIGAN HOUSE, 12 St Stephens Avenue
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Designed as a new Bishopscourt in the Arts and Crafts style by architects
Bamford & Pierce, it was built 1908-10 on part of the site purchased
in 1843 by Bishop Selwyn. The front of the house contains a private chapel.
In 1940 it was converted to a boarding house called Strathmore Lodge.
Restored in 1990, it is now the Anglican Trust Board's offices.
7. THE DEANERY, 17 St Stephens Avenue
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Completed in 1857, it is one of Frederick Thatcher's earliest buildings,
a small house but quite a complex one. The stonework (from Rangitoto)
stops at first floor level. The building has been little altered, though
the roof was originally shingles. Selwyn lived there before he moved
to
Bishops Court. It was never used as a Deanery.
8. ST
MARY'S IN HOLY TRINITY CATHEDRAL, 420-432 Parnell Road | Web
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"One of the finest of all wooden churches in New Zealand", says
Stacpoole, "and regarded by some as Mountfort's ecclesiastical masterpiece.
It shows his mastery of the Gothic style and his ability to create magical
spaces using the simplest means". The lofty interior is an extremely
fine example of timber construction. It was built between 1886 and
1897, on the other side of Parnell Road. In 1982 it was moved across
the road
to its present site next to the cathedral.
Opening Hours: Holy Trinity Cathedral and St Mary's Church are open to visitors every day unless a special service or event is taking place. Summer (October - March): Monday - Saturday: 10am - 3pm; Sundays 11.30am - 3pm. Winter hours (April - September): close 3.30 pm.
9. TERRACE HOUSES, 469-473
Parnell Road
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A really handsome set of three terrace houses, distinguished by a black
painted facade and brickwork sides festooned with Virginia creeper.
10.
CLAYBROOK, 6 Claybrook Road
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Designed in 1843 and owned by architect Sampson Kempthorne, it is one
of the oldest houses on its original site in Auckland. The house had
an
original core which may have been a prefabricated house Kempthorne
had brought with him. Kempthorne arrived in Auckland in 1842 and purchased
the land close to the Domain, in Auckland's second land purchase.
11.
KINDER HOUSE, 2 Ayr Street
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This was the first and largest of three stone houses in Parnell designed
by Frederick Thatcher in the late 18502, and the only truly two-storeyed
one. It was built by the stonemason, Benjamin Strange, as the headmaster's
house for the Church of England Grammar School, and named for its first
and most distinguished occupant, Dr Kinder, well known as a water colourist
and pioneer photographer. The house, now owned by Auckland City, is
administered
as a gallery/museum by the Kinder House Society Inc.
Open Tue-Sat 11.00am-3.00pm.
12. EWELME COTTAGE, 14 Ayr Street | Web
Map
A house museum, owned jointly by Auckland City and the Historic Places
Trust. Ewelme Cottage was built in 1863 for Vicesimus Lush, who brought
plans for a wooden house from England in 1850. "The cottage was much
added to and altered, but these alterations are themselves typical of
the better kind of unpretentious colonial house which grew with the needs
of the family. Its north facing veranda and french windows are typical
of the simple grace so often found at that time" (Stacpoole). Though
Vicar of Howick, Lush chose to build in Parnell so that his sons could
attend the Church of England Grammar School. His family lived there until
1968.
Open Fri-Sun 10.30am-12 noon & 1.00pm-4.30pm.
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