Trentham

11 Shelly Beach Road and Cameron Street, St Marys Bay, AUCKLAND

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Trentham is a visually prominent Edwardian villa, constructed in circa 1906-7 on the upper slopes of Auckland's prestigious St Marys Bay. The two-storey house expresses Eastlake and Queen Anne Revival architectural influences and can be considered a significant example of the lavish use of ornamentation in an Auckland suburban context. Prior to the founding of colonial Auckland in 1840, Onemaru (Shelly Beach) was traditionally used by Maori for settlement and fishing. The site of Trentham lay within an 1844 Crown Grant and the later 1863 Dedwood residential subdivision. A timber house erected on the property before 1882 was removed when part of the land was sold to Auckland businessman Josiah Webster (1860-1953) in circa 1906. Webster ran a fruit and vegetable business in Queen Street, and was a notable sportsman and Freemason. Webster erected a new two-storey timber villa on the site before 1908. The design capitalised on a corner site and a popular legacy of late-Victorian architectural eclecticism, and was by Auckland architect Arthur Ferneyhough (1872-1936). The building exhibited Eastlake and Queen Anne Revival influences, and had symmetrical facades linked by a semicircular bay with a prominent Moorish-domed turret. Lavish ornamentation included fretwork, shingling and spindles on double-height bays and verandahs. The building's cast iron roof cresting led a satirist to nominate Webster's house as an alternative Auckland residence for the Governor General. The interior of the eleven-roomed residence was equally ornate and included pressed metal ceilings and a sweeping timber staircase up to a roof-top viewing platform. Masonic-inspired motifs were incorporated in glasswork, reflecting Webster's interest and later high office in Freemasonry. A cast iron boundary fence and pillars of befitting grandeur prominently professed a desire for privacy yet enabled display to the passing public. In 1914 a mortgage was taken out on Trentham, coinciding with Webster's construction of the Grand Theatre on the site of his former fruit shop. Two years later the house was offered for sale as a 'gentleman's superior residence' with tennis court, ahead of a Supreme Court hearing of matters associated with the theatre construction contract. Although Webster retained ownership of both properties, the residence was briefly let as a maternity home and converted into four flats in 1921. During the Great Depression, part of the upstairs accommodation was occupied by Webster's son and family. Capitalising on links with theatre magnate Henry Hayward (1865-1945), Webster's wife Jane (1863?-1947) is said to have entertained touring celebrities including Anna Pavlova and Sybil Thorndike at the house. In 1944 a share in the property was transferred to the Websters' daughter Anita who returned to live there. Well known in local dramatic circles, Anita was one of few women listed in Who's Who in New Zealand in 1951. In 1954, the family sold Trentham on a reduced land area. The ground floor was converted into two flats by enclosing parts of the north-facing verandah. The first-floor, west-facing verandah and the south-facing porch were enclosed by 1969, giving the building its existing form. The structure remains in private residential use. Trentham has aesthetic significance as a notable local landmark of interesting exterior form. It is significant for its building interior which includes glasswork incorporating Masonic-inspired motifs, a timber staircase, and well-preserved pressed metal ceilings. The place has architectural significance as a notable example of a two-storey gentleman's villa of corner type exhibiting Eastlake and Queen Anne Revival influences. It is historically significant for its associations with Auckland entrepreneur and businessman Josiah Webster, and his daughter Anita who was active in Auckland's dramatic arts. The place has social value, including for its references to Freemasonry - an important social activity in some sections of male society.

Trentham, St Marys Bay, Auckland | Joan McKenzie | 19/08/2009 | Heritage New Zealand
Trentham, St Marys Bay, Auckland. From Shelly Beach Road, west elevation showing fretwork on barge board, enclosed verandah and domed roof of turret (looking south) | Joan McKenzie | 19/08/2009 | Heritage New Zealand
Trentham, St Marys Bay, Auckland. Typical bay window (ground floor, west elevation) | Joan McKenzie | 19/08/2009 | Heritage New Zealand

Location

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List Entry Information

Overview

Detailed List Entry

Status

Listed

List Entry Status

Historic Place Category 2

Access

Private/No Public Access

List Number

4497

Date Entered

4th April 2010

Date of Effect

4th April 2010

City/District Council

Auckland Council

Region

Auckland Council

Extent of List Entry

Extent includes the land described as Pt DP 622 (RT NA1120/153), North Auckland Land District and the buildings and structures known as Trentham thereon, and their fittings and fixtures. (Refer to map in Appendix 1 of the registration report for further information).

Legal description

Pt DP 622 (RT NA1120/153), North Auckland Land District

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