ARCHITECTURAL DESCRIPTION: Originally an eight-roomed cob house, Brookside today retains several cob walls but its appearance is largely the result of a series of timber framed additions. The central section of the house is two-storeyed, a narrow staircase leading to two bedrooms with sloping ceilings following the roof line. The pitched roof has a gable end to the south where bargeboards are adorned with a series of quatrefoils. A double-hung sash window is centrally placed within the gable-end, each sash with six lights. The north end of this pitched roof consists of a gabled dormer with plain bargeboards and simple casement windows. Below the dormer the external cob wall has been covered with shiplap weatherboards. This north facade has a verandah, the east end of which has been closed in to form a sunroom, and a formal entrance leading to a large foyer characterised by dark beams and polished floorboards. This is probably the original sitting room. Other rooms lead directly off it. The east facade of the building has a square bay projecting from the formal living area and a gabled roof. Within the gable weatherboard cladding is stepped out and supported on simple brackets. Extending to the south is a lean-to housing the kitchen. The south facade has a cob wall which is partly exposed rather than covered with weatherboards. To the west of the house is another addition incorporating an informal living area and the master bedroom. Here the roof is pitched at a low angle. MODIFICATIONS: Date unknown: The original cob house has seen many additions, perhaps the earliest being the timber framed second storey. The east side of the house, other than the north cob wall, has been added and later rebuilt. Early photographs show a second storey in the south east corner, removed at some stage and replaced with the present single storey pitched roof. The north cob wall was covered with weatherboards probably at the same time that the east side of the house was rebuilt. Other modifications include: - Kitchen lean-to added to south facade. Floor of kitchen raised c.1970. - Small lean-to added to south facade. - Extension to west facade incorporating informal living area and master bedroom. - Cob wall removed to enlarge master bedroom. - Verandah closed in. East end remains closed in today, elsewhere boxing removed. - Internal staircase enclosed. - False ceiling added to formal living room. - Carved rimu fireplace added to formal living room.