Brandon Hall Homestead is located on the outskirts of present-day Bulls, overlooking the Tutaenui Stream. Named after the original Pakeha purchaser of the land, the house was completed in 1865 and remains in close to its original condition.
The Rangitikei Block was acquired from its Maori owners by the Crown in 1849, and in 1851 prominent Wellington lawyer and Provincial Secretary Alfred de Bathe Brandon purchased 624 acres (253 hectares) in the area. A Crown Grant was issued for the property in 1861. The land was purchased by speculators until 1864, when disputes between local iwi groups allowed the Bewley family to purchase the former Brandon estate cheaply.
That same year Bewley employed James Bull to construct a house on the property. Bull, a local carpenter and sawmiller, contributed greatly to the development of the local township from this period onwards and the town was later re-named in his honour. The homestead, for which the original plan and specifications survive, was completed for £260. The one and a half storey structure was made from timber and clad in weatherboards. It featured a verandah, and a lobby and five rooms on the ground floor. A narrow stair led to three bedrooms on the upper storey.
The Bewley family rapidly enlarged both the estate and their flock. Events turned against the apparently prosperous family when their greatly expanded flock of sheep developed scab. The infection was spread to neighbouring farms and the family was taken to court. The Bewelys lost their case and were required to pay for the treatment of their neighbours' flocks. During the same period, the price of wool dropped dramatically, possibly through over supply to the international market and the New Zealand Wars. Bewley became depressed about his future prospects in the area.
In 1867, just a year after the dispute between local iwi was resolved, Ngati Ruanui military leader Riwha Titokowaru [? - 1888] began his advance from Wanganui to Foxton. Rangitikei settlers were forced to re-mobilise and construct a series of defensive redoubt for protection. It may be during this period that a 'secret' room was developed for protection at the Brandon Hall Homestead. In 1868 the Brandon Hall Estate foreman Frederik Kornerup was fatally injured on the banks of the Ohau River by a Maori wielding a mere. The following year, Te Kooti Rikirangi Te Turuki (?-1893) and his forces killed over 60 Maori and 7 settlers at Mohaka. Financially destitute and in fear of their safety, the Bewley family made the decision to leave their new life behind, and return to England. The family left the property in 1870. The house and land passed to their mortgage holders, Johnston & Co.
After the departure of the Bewleys, the house served as the farm manager's home and then as rental accommodation. A subsequent owner broke up the estate in 1906, and most of the resultant properties were developed as dairy farms. The homestead block had regular changes of ownership, possibly due to the low productivity of the sandy soil. Ownership stabilised from the 1920s. Around 1960, additions were made to the exterior of the structure.
The Brandon Hall Homestead is significant as physically important as an example of a well-preserved, early colonial dwelling. It is historically significant for the connection to James Bull, and its social history provides insight into the flight of Pakeha settlers from New Zealand in the second half of the nineteenth-century. The property is held in high esteem by the local community and the descendants of its inhabitants.
The Rangitikei Block was acquired from its Maori owners by the Crown in 1849, and in 1851 prominent Wellington lawyer and Provincial Secretary Alfred de Bathe Brandon purchased 624 acres (253 hectares) in the area. A Crown Grant was issued for the property in 1861. The land was purchased by speculators until 1864, when disputes between local iwi groups allowed the Bewley family to purchase the former Brandon estate cheaply.
That same year Bewley employed James Bull to construct a house on the property. Bull, a local carpenter and sawmiller, contributed greatly to the development of the local township from this period onwards and the town was later re-named in his honour. The homestead, for which the original plan and specifications survive, was completed for £260. The one and a half storey structure was made from timber and clad in weatherboards. It featured a verandah, and a lobby and five rooms on the ground floor. A narrow stair led to three bedrooms on the upper storey.
The Bewley family rapidly enlarged both the estate and their flock. Events turned against the apparently prosperous family when their greatly expanded flock of sheep developed scab. The infection was spread to neighbouring farms and the family was taken to court. The Bewelys lost their case and were required to pay for the treatment of their neighbours' flocks. During the same period, the price of wool dropped dramatically, possibly through over supply to the international market and the New Zealand Wars. Bewley became depressed about his future prospects in the area.
In 1867, just a year after the dispute between local iwi was resolved, Ngati Ruanui military leader Riwha Titokowaru [? - 1888] began his advance from Wanganui to Foxton. Rangitikei settlers were forced to re-mobilise and construct a series of defensive redoubt for protection. It may be during this period that a 'secret' room was developed for protection at the Brandon Hall Homestead. In 1868 the Brandon Hall Estate foreman Frederik Kornerup was fatally injured on the banks of the Ohau River by a Maori wielding a mere. The following year, Te Kooti Rikirangi Te Turuki (?-1893) and his forces killed over 60 Maori and 7 settlers at Mohaka. Financially destitute and in fear of their safety, the Bewley family made the decision to leave their new life behind, and return to England. The family left the property in 1870. The house and land passed to their mortgage holders, Johnston & Co.
After the departure of the Bewleys, the house served as the farm manager's home and then as rental accommodation. A subsequent owner broke up the estate in 1906, and most of the resultant properties were developed as dairy farms. The homestead block had regular changes of ownership, possibly due to the low productivity of the sandy soil. Ownership stabilised from the 1920s. Around 1960, additions were made to the exterior of the structure.
The Brandon Hall Homestead is significant as physically important as an example of a well-preserved, early colonial dwelling. It is historically significant for the connection to James Bull, and its social history provides insight into the flight of Pakeha settlers from New Zealand in the second half of the nineteenth-century. The property is held in high esteem by the local community and the descendants of its inhabitants.
