Brookfield, a grand stone villa designed by Forrester and Lemon, for J.C. Gilchrist, Oamaru’s first mayor and prominent citizen, has historical and architectural significance, representing the aspirations of the new ‘landed gentry.’ Looking to the ideal of an English country seat, Brookfield sits amidst a large garden, surrounded by trees, and reflects the status and aspirations of men like Gilchrist in colonial New Zealand. John Campbell Gilchrist (c.1830-1906), born in Argyleshire in Scotland, educated in Glasgow as a teacher, moved to Victoria, Australia in 1853. He settled in Oamaru where he turned his attention to agriculture and pastoralism. Gilchrist received the Crown grant for the land on which Brookfield was built in August 1865. He had 300 acres at Brookfield at Waiareka, just east of Oamaru. He also owned a sheep station known as Rosebedy, as well as land on Tyne and Itchen Streets in Oamaru. According to architectural historian Conal McCarthy, Gilchrist first approached Dunedin architectural firm Mason and Wales to design his residence, with Mason and Wales requesting tenders in October 1878 for a ‘villa residence of stone, near Oamaru.’ This was never built, and Gilchrist next approached Forrester and Lemon. Sketches survive titled ‘J. Gilchrist, residence.’ According to McCarthy, in August 1879, Forrester and Lemon requested tenders for a ‘17 roomed house’, which he argued was probably Gilchrist’s residence, although the notice specifies the house would be built of wood. Gilchrist died at Brookfield in 1906, with the paper mourning the loss of ‘one of this districts earliest and most-valued residents.’ The Gilchrist family retained their association with Brookfield until 1965. In the 1960s, the house was incorporated into a function centre, with a supper room and entertainment hall built around two sides of the house, and the venue known as the Brookfield Reception Centre. An application to demolish these additions was made in 2005, to return the house to a residence. In 2015, Brookfield is a private home.