126 John Street, Ponsonby


I always enjoy walking past this funky old villa in Ponsonby, all 3 storeys grow organically up the bank to meet the road - even then it's inhabitants walk up some stairs to meet the footpath. I Love the double doors to nowhere on the side too.


Shrouded with Cabbage Trees (Ti Kouka in Maori) give it a real country look despite being in the middle of the city. Incidentally, cabbage trees are gaining popularity elsewhere - in UK landscaping as a hardy cold weather palm where they are known as the Torquey Palm, but the most impressive examples I've ever seen were in the lake district of southern Chile.
**Since initially posting this, the owner has been in touch with some interesting facts about the house and John Street;

"During the renovations we found pages of the AUCKLAND STAR newspaper used as wallpaper pasted to two of the internal walls dated April 7 1886, in remarkable condition. This was quite common on early NZ dwellings where building materials were hard to get.
When the section was first sold and the house was built, John Street did not run all the way between Richmond Rd and Jervois Rd. The top half between Richmond Rd and Summer St was called Oliphant Street, which is the address detail on the last paper title. By 1895, from the maps I have found - the rest of the sections were formed and the road joined up with John Street. It was renamed all John Street in the late 1930s."

Thanks, Richard very interesting stuff!

Auckland Star newspaper pages found in internal walls, April 7, 1886

Auckland Star newspaper pages found in internal walls, April 7, 1886

Comments

Richard said…
Glad you love our little cottage. It's 3 storeys and was built in 1886. Really great sketch.
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Murray Dewhurst said…
Hi Richard, Thank you for the message and date - It's a bit older than I thought. Pleased you like the sketch! I've since done one from the front too, I'll post it shortly as well. I'm really enjoying sketching the old villas so I'm going to do some more over the next few months.
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Mário said…
I love to see Auckland from your eyes!
nice work
Vanessa McCall said…
Great sktech! The house has a 'personality'.
I am looking for pictures of 28 Wharf Road, putting together the info I have on Greatgrandfather mystery, and he is recorded to have been at 28 Wharf Road in 1924. Though looking at this Auck Council street plan (from 1862) http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll?BU=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aucklandcity.govt.nz%2Fdbtw-wpd%2FHeritageImages%2Findex.htm&AC=QBE_QUERY&TN=heritageimages&QF0=ID&NP=4&RF=HIORecord&QI0=NZ, 28 Wharf Road didn't exist (yet)?

Would you know the area?
Vanessa McCall said…
Great sktech! The house has a 'personality'.
I am looking for pictures of 28 Wharf Road, putting together the info I have on Greatgrandfather mystery, and he is recorded to have been at 28 Wharf Road in 1924. Though looking at this Auck Council street plan (from 1862) http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/dbtw-wpd/exec/dbtwpub.dll?BU=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aucklandcity.govt.nz%2Fdbtw-wpd%2FHeritageImages%2Findex.htm&AC=QBE_QUERY&TN=heritageimages&QF0=ID&NP=4&RF=HIORecord&QI0=NZ, 28 Wharf Road didn't exist (yet)?
and things have changed

Would you know that house?
The sketch book is really informative to see and the sketches look ancient. Thanks fr posting it here.
Auckland sketchbook is showing the incredible view of house! You really have the eye to sketch the beauty.
The view of auckland in this sketch book is awesome and i wish to see these places again and again. Thanks a lot for sharing.
The sketch book is really giving the Auckland original view with tall sky scrappers and other amazing structures.
Unknown said…
The sketchbook is presenting the view of Auckland in a great way and looking incredible.
renovation auckland
126 john street is really greatly sketched in the book. I am really inspired by the art of this sketch maker.
Wow! The great art in the sketch book. I'm really inspired to see this.
Murray Dewhurst said…
Vanessa, It looks like number 28 is a lot further down the street now looking at google maps. There's a snapshot of the house there too...

https://maps.google.co.nz/maps?client=safari&oe=UTF-8&q=28+Wharf+Road,+herne+bay+map&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x6d0d479d420cb06b:0xc5492d0196ed40ca,28+Wharf+Rd,+Ponsonby,+Auckland+1011&gl=nz&ei=2HfsUa-_H-6UiQfGyoCwCA&ved=0CCsQ8gEwAA
This John Street, Ponsonby is looking great and it will give more graceful view after the renovation made to this.
Renovation has its beauty of value addition. I am waiting to see after effects of this renovation.
Annie said…
Hi, I have found out that my x2 Great Grandparents lived at what was 15 Oliphant Street Ponsonby. Do you know if there is away that I can find out what the address would be now? OR what the address of this house was back when it was Oliphant Street? My x2 Great Grandparents were William and Eliza Watkins. William passed away in 1890 and Eliza in 1913.

Thank you.

Annie
Murray Dewhurst said…
Hi Anne,

Sorry I'm not much help to you – I'm unable to find any decent maps from back in the early days of Oliphant Street. Great name isn't it! The owner of this house might be more helpful – drop me your email and I can forward to them.
Annie said…
Hi Murray, Thank you for your kind offer. I have been in touch with the now old owner of the property. And with what myself and a cousin have found/worked out using old maps and the council 1908- 1909 valuations. We have worked out that this was 15 Oliphant St and that my x2 Great Grandparents did live in the house. They lived in Oliphant St from 1877 till 1913.
Murray Dewhurst said…
Hi Annie, that's great news! Pleased to hear you got it figured out. Nice to be able to put a place to some family history.
Anonymous said…
Hi Murray,
I have recently bought 126 John Street from Richard. what a treasure it is (and how privileged am I?) It has such a lovely feel about it.
I simply had no idea what I was buying into - I walked in, fell in love, and signed the offer all within 5 hours. My daughter then found your web page and, well here we are. Your last post coincides with the very week we moved in...
Best, Bronwyn
Murray Dewhurst said…
Hi Bronwyn, congratulations – you're bought a very cool property – so much character. It was s lot of fun to sketch and paint.