The land on which this cottage is built was part of a leasehold block of land owned by the Invercargill Borough Council. When Section 12 was first offered for lease in October 1901, it was unimproved. In 1901 builder Andrew Bain took up the lease. The lease remained in the Bain family until 1957. The cottage may have been built by Bain shortly after he took up the lease along with cottages on the adjoining section (Section 11) that he also owned. The cottage at 97 Ness Street is the only remaining of a group of worker’s cottages built on Ness Street in the early years of the twentieth century. The cottage is F-shaped in plan with a single gable symmetrical façade facing Ness Street transected by two parallel gabled sections at the rear. Built of timber and clad in weatherboard it is a typical cottage.
Bain did not live in the cottage himself, so it appears to have been rented out. Street directories indicate that the address 97 Ness Street was not allocated until 1916, and that Rous Mabson lived at that address. Mabson was a building contractor and he first appears on Ness Street in 1912. In 1908, there were four households living on Ness Street between Tweed and Teviot Streets. In 1911, there were five households, so it is possible that the cottage was built between 1908 and 1911.
A real estate advertisement from 1920 provides some additional clues: agent W.A. Ott offers for sale Bain’s properties on Ness Street – three ‘excellent dwellings’ on the corner of Tweed and Ness Streets (one of six rooms, the others four rooms), and also three dwellings adjoining the others on the corner of Teviot and Ness Streets - the corner house having six rooms, and the other two houses, four rooms. This makes it likely that Bain did built the houses as rental properties. In 2018, the cottage remains a private residence.
List Entry Information
Status
Listed
List Entry Status
Historic Place Category 2
Access
Private/No Public Access
List Number
2491
Date Entered
24th November 1983
Date of Effect
24th November 1983
City/District Council
Invercargill City
Region
Southland Region
Extent of List Entry
Extent includes the land described as Lot 4 DP 395808 (RT 382432), Southland Land District, and the cottage thereon.
Legal description
Lot 4 DP 395808 (RT 382432), Southland Land District
Status
Listed
List Entry Status
Historic Place Category 2
Access
Private/No Public Access
List Number
2491
Date Entered
24th November 1983
Date of Effect
24th November 1983
City/District Council
Invercargill City
Region
Southland Region
Extent of List Entry
Extent includes the land described as Lot 4 DP 395808 (RT 382432), Southland Land District, and the cottage thereon.
Legal description
Lot 4 DP 395808 (RT 382432), Southland Land District
Construction Professional
Name
Bain, Andrew
Type
Designer
Biography
Andrew Bain (c.1856-1939) was a well-known Invercargill building contractor. Born in Glasgow, he landed in Bluff in 1877. He was a member of the Bluff Harbour Board, served two terms as Invercargill’s mayor, and was a member of the Council for twenty years. He was a member of the New Zealand Federated Builders and Contractors Association.
Construction Professional
Name
Bain, Andrew
Type
Designer
Biography
Andrew Bain (c.1856-1939) was a well-known Invercargill building contractor. Born in Glasgow, he landed in Bluff in 1877. He was a member of the Bluff Harbour Board, served two terms as Invercargill’s mayor, and was a member of the Council for twenty years. He was a member of the New Zealand Federated Builders and Contractors Association.
Historical and Associated Iwi / Hapū / Whānau
Completion Date
11th April 2018
Report Written By
Heather Bauchop
Information Sources
Salmond, Jeremy, 1986
Old New Zealand Houses 1800-1940, Reed Methuen, Auckland, 1986
Other Information
This place was identified as significant under previous legislation with different information requirements. It remains significant under the current legislation. There is opportunity under our legislation and policies to add to this information. Further information about this place may be available from the Otago/Southland Office of Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga. Please note that entry on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rarangi Korero identifies only the heritage values of the property concerned, and should not be construed as advice on the state of the property, or as a comment of its soundness or safety, including in regard to earthquake risk, safety in the event of fire, or insanitary conditions. A fully referenced upgrade report is available on request from the Otago Southland Area Office of Heritage New Zealand
Historical and Associated Iwi / Hapū / Whānau
Completion Date
11th April 2018
Report Written By
Heather Bauchop
Information Sources
Salmond, Jeremy, 1986
Old New Zealand Houses 1800-1940, Reed Methuen, Auckland, 1986
Other Information
This place was identified as significant under previous legislation with different information requirements. It remains significant under the current legislation. There is opportunity under our legislation and policies to add to this information. Further information about this place may be available from the Otago/Southland Office of Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga. Please note that entry on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rarangi Korero identifies only the heritage values of the property concerned, and should not be construed as advice on the state of the property, or as a comment of its soundness or safety, including in regard to earthquake risk, safety in the event of fire, or insanitary conditions. A fully referenced upgrade report is available on request from the Otago Southland Area Office of Heritage New Zealand
Current Usages
Uses: Accommodation
Specific Usage: House
Former Usages
General Usage: Accommodation
Specific Usage: House
Current Usages
Uses: Accommodation
Specific Usage: House
Former Usages
General Usage: Accommodation
Specific Usage: House
Location
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