WALKING COMPANION- My sister Rhia.
WEATHER- Sunny and cool.
1 1/2 HOUR WALK.
BOOK 4.
I call this the up/down walk so be prepared with good shoes and a drink. We start at Queen St just by Woodhaugh Gardens opposite number 180 with it's distinctive mural. Many years ago that tower was in the center of a much larger grand home. Curious to know what happened to the rest of the house? It's right next door.....Numbers 182, 178 and 176 were all once Dale House,designed by architect Henry F Hardy and built in the late 1870s for Mr Charles Nicholls who sadly didn't get to see it's completion after tragically dying in a coach accident. His widow Mary then sold it in 1882 to Mr William Gregg, founder of W Gregg and Co ( coffee and spice merchant) who moved in with his wife Eleanor, their nine children and 4 staff. I was unable to find very much about the interior of Dale House apart from there was at least 15 main rooms to occupy. Mr Gregg died in 1901 and sold to Mrs Margaret Braun who by 1902 had separated it into the 4 houses you now see.
We cross Duke St and venture up the first of many stairs. It would be rather easy to get confused with many paths and steps leading up the multi leveled street. We make our way out on to the car friendly part of Queen St stopping outside No 127. A very striking house made from Oamaru stone, obviously English in design it was built in 1913 for Mr Henry S Bingham. Mr Bingham had arrived in Dunedin in 1902 and worked hard establishing himself as a stonemason and by 1913 business was flourishing. He employed architect Edward Anscombe to design his home only specifying that it looked English. 6 months later it was completed and Mr Bingham moved in with his wife Emma and 4 children. Some of the many features of the house include interior sandstone brick walls, oregon paneling, handmade tile fire surrounds, red pine flooring and stained glass windows. Mr Bingham did some of the work himself such as the balustrading on the front steps, the stone vases at the front entrance and at age 80 built a new fireplace from Oamaru stone for the living room, he lived here until his death in 1978 aged 98 and his daughter and son in law continued to live here. It was recently put up for sale and not surprisingly sold very quickly.
At the corner of Warrender we can spot the Otago University Halls of Residence- Studholme, Arana, St Margarets and Selwyn, all established between 1893 and 1943. Across the road to our second lot of stairs and up we go, along the cul-de-sac admiring some interesting houses then very carefully cross Lachlan Ave and head down the sealed path keeping an eye out for the spires of Knox and First church. On to Queen St again.
We stop across from the intersection of Regent Rd and Queen St, there now stands a modern apartment block but up until 1966 it was the site of St Helens Maternity Hospital, opened in 1905 roughly 200 midwives trained here and 5,500 babies were born here. Dr Emily Siedeberg was the Medical Superintendent of St Helens for it's 33 year life. She was the countries first women graduate in medicine and the first women GP to have her own private practice in NZ. Originally St Helens was a home called Eden Bank House, built in 1863 for David Murray as a rental property, the first tenant was a Polish prince named Konstantine Drucki-Lubecki who had left his country after being involved in the failed revolution of 1831. His English wife Laura was known as Madame Lubecki and ran a ladies boarding school. The house was demolished in 1966 even though it was in excellent condition.
Up Cosy Dell Rd and turn left onto Kyle St. We stop outside the Cosy Dell Tennis Club (established in 1912) for a view of one of my personal favourite houses in Dunedin. Transit House which is now called Rothesay. Hidden from view on Park St most people wouldn't even realize it was here. Built in 1882 for Robert Gillies, his wife Emily and their 8 children it was named Transit House after the transit of Venus which occured in 1882 by Robert who was a keen amateur astronomer. designed by his nephew John Burnside it was a very opulent grand house consisting of a ballroom, billiards room, marble fireplaces, a hanging concrete staircase and 8 bedrooms plus coach house and gardeners cottage. Sadly the family didn't live here for long as Robert died just 4 years after moving in aged 51. Emily moved to Auckland and rented it out until 1930 when it was sold. In 1945 it became Dominican Hall a Catholic Hall of Residence and the old servants rooms in the attic were extended adding another 11 bedrooms taking the total of rooms to 28. Luckily the majority of the main rooms and character features survived institutional life and in 1981 it returned to private ownership and became a family home again. The current owners have owned it since 1989.
Down another sealed path on to Queen St spotting the turret at No 62 and the interesting shaped window then we turn up Park St passing the old stables of Rothesay which has been converted into a home. At the top it becomes Heriot Row with many character homes to admire. Walking along the left side we stop outside Carrington College to spot Oakdale at No 61, now called Wardell House it was the home of John Wardell and his family. John ran Wardell's Grocery Store on George St from 1889 until his death in 1938. Another home which is now part of Carrington is at the end of the driveway at No 57, once the home of Emil Halsted, nephew of Bendix Hallenstein and brother of Percy Halsted who built his family home on Royal Terrace calling Marli. The family surname was changed around World War 1. No 55 which is rather difficult to see was built for Hugh Adam who worked for Speights from around 1895, first as Company Secretary then becoming manager at aged 77. In 1940 a huge fire destroyed the malthouses on Rattray St, when Mr Adams heard about the fire he ran all the way there....aged 82!!! He passed away a week later in his office.
Across to Royal Terrace spotting the corner house which originally was a shop. We turn right at Corrie St but take the lower footpath (which is actually part of Duchess Ave) and follow it up the last lot of stairs for this walk. We pause at the top to catch our breath and are able to get a better view of the Heriot Row houses. Back on to Corrie St and either walk up to the sealed path that leads to Cosy Dell Road or walk down Queens Drive. Over to Como St and follow the path to Chamberlain St. Up the right side until you reach Henry St, this is where the Maori Hill Borough Council Rubbish Dump was situated and although many residents complained about for many years it was used until 1934 when another site was found. We cross the intersection of Highgate, Lachlan and Cannington and head down Stonelaw Terrace to the Bullock Track, constructed in 1885 it was used to walk stock to the freezing works and sales yards in Burnside. It's a lovely walk through the bush with some parts that would be a bit tricky in wet weather. Coming out on Duke St with a Greek inspired house greeting us at No 1. I've always been intrigued by this house, wondering who built this and why Greek. Built around 1917 for Henry Peter Johnson (originally his surname was Johansen or Marienlund ) and his wife Ellen. Henry came from Denmark in the 1880s, the house was designed by architect Owen Macfie and supposedly has a miniature Greek mausoleum in the backyard that Mr Johnson wanted to be laid to rest in when he passed away.
CONCLUSION- Great walk, was so interesting finding out the history of many of the houses I've admired for years and to walk around streets I've never explored before. Great walk out with all the stairs.
BIBLIOGRAPHY-
Above the Belt by Jane Smallfield and Brian Heenan.
Houses of Dunedin by Lois Galer.
Houses and Homes by Lois Galer.
Further Houses and Homes by Lois Galer.
Upright Exploring Dunedins Built Heritage.
Built in Dunedin.