Erected in Devonport in circa 1905, Considine House (Former) is a visually well-preserved double bay villa ‘of noble proportions’, with prominent square bays that incorporate a mixture of architectural elements. The place has aesthetic and architectural significance for its design which has been considered an exemplar of the double-bay villa in the suburb. The suburb is itself notable for its well-preserved late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century landscape, including its variety of ‘excellent houses’ of bay villa type. The place has some historical significance for the closeness of its connections with Thomas Considine, a local councillor, and Robert Louis Cleland, the first person to win the Melbourne Cup with a New Zealand-owned horse and has remained a family home for over 100 years. The place contributes to a notably well-preserved nineteenth- and early twentieth century townscape in Devonport, which demonstrates evolving architectural styles for both residential and commercial construction and forms part of a significant Māori landscape associated with the settlement of the volcanic cones in the area.
The Devonport area has connections with several iwi, having been explored and occupied since early human arrival in New Zealand. Evidence of extensive Māori settlement on the volcanic cones and Devonport foreshore has been recorded. After formal European colonisation in 1840, Devonport developed as a British naval station as a civilian settlement developed inland. The property formed part of a large parcel south of Albert Road at the base of Takararo/Mt Cambria. After successive subdivisions from the mid-nineteenth century Thomas Considine, a chief storeman, acquired Lots 5 and 6 on which he built his family home in the early twentieth century.
Considine House (Former) was designed as a double-bay villa of generous proportions, built of timber with a Marseilles tile roof. Its elevated aspect on a lower slope of Mt Cambria gave it a prominent appearance that was emphasised through the mixture of architectural elements that were present in the square bays and deep gables including brackets, fretwork, leaded stained glass, and Wunderlich pressed metal. Internally the house was comprised of six rooms around an L-shaped hallway.
Considine was an active local politician and was on the Devonport Borough Council between 1909 and 1913. Following the death of Thomas’ brother who lived nearby, the family moved south and sold Considine House in 1913. The subsequent owner of the house was Robert Louis Cleland who had been the first person to win the Melbourne Cup with a New Zealand-owned horse, in 1907 and lived at the property with his family. The next owners were the Walsh family who made the first major changes to the property in 1949 when they built an extension on the west side and converted the house into two dwellings.
Since 1966, the property has had several other private owners. In 1986, Jeremy Salmond noted it as an example of double-bay villa design in an essay on Devonport architecture, and an image of it was also reproduced in his Old New Zealand Houses 1800-1940. Sympathetic additions and alterations have been undertaken at the side and rear of the building, including the erection of a carport in 1996. The property remains in use as a private residence.
The Devonport area has connections with several iwi, having been explored and occupied since early human arrival in New Zealand. Evidence of extensive Māori settlement on the volcanic cones and Devonport foreshore has been recorded. After formal European colonisation in 1840, Devonport developed as a British naval station as a civilian settlement developed inland. The property formed part of a large parcel south of Albert Road at the base of Takararo/Mt Cambria. After successive subdivisions from the mid-nineteenth century Thomas Considine, a chief storeman, acquired Lots 5 and 6 on which he built his family home in the early twentieth century.
Considine House (Former) was designed as a double-bay villa of generous proportions, built of timber with a Marseilles tile roof. Its elevated aspect on a lower slope of Mt Cambria gave it a prominent appearance that was emphasised through the mixture of architectural elements that were present in the square bays and deep gables including brackets, fretwork, leaded stained glass, and Wunderlich pressed metal. Internally the house was comprised of six rooms around an L-shaped hallway.
Considine was an active local politician and was on the Devonport Borough Council between 1909 and 1913. Following the death of Thomas’ brother who lived nearby, the family moved south and sold Considine House in 1913. The subsequent owner of the house was Robert Louis Cleland who had been the first person to win the Melbourne Cup with a New Zealand-owned horse, in 1907 and lived at the property with his family. The next owners were the Walsh family who made the first major changes to the property in 1949 when they built an extension on the west side and converted the house into two dwellings.
Since 1966, the property has had several other private owners. In 1986, Jeremy Salmond noted it as an example of double-bay villa design in an essay on Devonport architecture, and an image of it was also reproduced in his Old New Zealand Houses 1800-1940. Sympathetic additions and alterations have been undertaken at the side and rear of the building, including the erection of a carport in 1996. The property remains in use as a private residence.
