Nairn Street Cottage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nairn Street Cottage |
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| Former names | Colonial Cottage Museum |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Late Georgian style |
| Location | 68 Nairn Street, Mount Cook, Wellington, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 41°17′57″S 174°46′12″E / 41.2993°S 174.7699°E |
| Current tenants | The Colonial Cottage Museum |
| Completed | 1858 |
| Owner | Wellington City Council |
| Official name: Nairn Street Cottage | |
| Designated: | 1986 |
| Reference #: | 1444 |
Nairn Street Cottage is the oldest original house in Wellington, New Zealand. It was built by the Wallis family in 1858. Three generations of the Wallis family lived here. Today, you can take a tour to learn about these early British settlers. You can also explore the cottage's historic garden. The cottage is a very important historical site. Heritage New Zealand calls it a Category 1 Historic Place. This means it has "special or outstanding historical or cultural heritage significance."
Contents
Building a Home in 1858
This special cottage was built in 1858. You can find it on Nairn Street in the Mount Cook area of Wellington. The house was built in a style called late Georgian style. Many houses built between 1850 and 1870 looked similar.
William Wallis built the cottage with his own hands. He arrived in New Zealand in September 1857. His wife, Catherine, came with him. They were newly married when they made the long journey.
William Wallis: A Skilled Builder
William Wallis was a skilled carpenter. He learned his trade working on The Crystal Palace in London. He also helped build hospitals during the Crimean War. These experiences gave him the skills he needed. They also helped him save money to move to New Zealand.
The cottage is almost entirely made from native New Zealand wood. William built it all by hand. You can still see his original tool chest inside the cottage today.
The Wallis Family Story
William and Catherine Wallis traveled a very long way. Their ship journey to New Zealand took seventeen weeks. Like many people back then, they came hoping for a better life.
William chose the Nairn Street site carefully. He wanted a place with a stream at the bottom of his property. This was very important for a safe water supply. An earthquake in 1855 had caused a tsunami in Wellington. This event ruined the town's water supply. Sadly, some people got sick with typhoid because of it. William wanted to make sure his family had clean water.
Growing Up in the Cottage
The Wallis family grew quite large. William and Catherine had 10 children! After their seventh child was born, they needed more space. William built a bigger house right next door. The family then moved into this new, larger home.
Even after the family moved, Wallis descendants lived in the original cottage. They stayed there until the late 1970s.
Saving a Piece of History
In the 1970s, the Wellington City Council planned to tear down the cottage. They wanted to build new apartments there. The Council took ownership of the building in 1974. Winifred Turner was William and Catherine's granddaughter. She was the last Wallis family member to live in the cottage.
Winifred Turner was determined to save her family home. Her strong efforts helped people see how important the cottage was. Because of her, the cottage was saved from being demolished.
Nairn Street Cottage: A Living Museum
After Winifred's efforts, a group called the Colonial Cottage Museum Society worked to save the cottage. They turned it into an educational museum in 1980.
Today, the Wellington City Council owns the cottage. The Wellington Museums Trust manages it.
What You Can See at the Museum
Nairn Street Cottage offers guided tours of the house and gardens. Each tour starts with the Wallis family's history. You'll learn about important events that happened during the 127 years they lived there.
Most of the items inside the cottage are from between 1850 and 1880. Some things belonged to the Wallis family. Other items were given by other early settler families. Some pieces have been borrowed or bought.
The museum offers tours for individuals and groups. They also have special visits for schools.
In 2018, the cottage was closed for a short time. It was refurnished with new displays. When it reopened, the museum's focus changed. Before, it mainly told the story of William and Catherine. Now, it shares the stories of all the Wallis generations. This covers the years from 1830 to 1970.
