One hundred years is a long time for anything; people, buildings, trees and this house has the cracks that come with that age.
We bought this house after looking for a year and after our return from nearly two years in Canada where Callum, Rachael and Katherine were born. It was only after Max and Judy alerted us to an upcoming auction that we found this place; sale price of around $30,000. We had arranged a loan with Mr Dredge at the ANZ. I remember driving down High Street and pulling over in a panic realizing that the repayments were beyond our capacity to pay. Found a phone box (the days before mobiles), rang Mr Dredge and pleaded with a lower rate- he agreed. And with that and a generous contribution from Charlie and Jess, we had a home; moved in around December 1973.
The house build was completed in around December 1923. The photo on display shows Jessie (she and her husband had the house built for 1000 pounds) on the front lawn of the new house around that date. Coincidently a few months ago we had a visit from Jessie’s daughter, now in her 90’s, and her extended family. She can remember that in the front room there used to be a piano and there were fruit trees in the back yard. So if l’ve got it right we are the 3rd owners.
When we moved in there was a grassed front and back lawn and a Hill’s rotary clothes hoist out the back which became a piece of play equipment. Things have changed since those days as you can see. We’ve always had a veggie patch and chickens at various times and a workshop for creating canoes, boats and furniture.
So our family has lived here for 50 years. Initially Chris’s study was where the three young babies slept in their bassinets. Over the years we extended twice as the kids grew older and needed more space, with the study becoming Callum’s room and the downstairs extensions, bedrooms for Kathy and Rachael. I do remember Callum drawing on the walls of his room; the beginnings of his passion for art; maybe?
There have been a lot of changes in the area over the years, and changes and growth within the family, but Chris and l are still here and still welcoming family and friends to our house to listen, to celebrate and to enjoy each others company
