Cottage

• c.1890
• Construction
• 1982
• Alterations and additions
• 1997
• Additional storey
• 2001
• Alterations and additions

• unknown
• Unknown

Not assessed

This cottage was a very simple worker’s villa with rusticated timber weatherboards and timber joinery. Originally the decoration was limited to crafted timber eaves brackets, which give a minute detailing effect to what is a particularly plain building. Even the window frames have little depth or significant detailing. The original house made up for its lack of ornamentation with character, form, and proportional harmony. The addition of another storey altered the house’s character significantly as the timber eaves brackets were removed.

Interior Style:

The interior of this cottage is representative of some of those built in the 1890’s, although some of the features are more refined than in a typical workers cottage.. There are two remaining fireplaces, one in the right hand front room, which would have been the parlour. This fireplace has a timber fore surround with the coal grate, and mustard coloured decorative tiles with a relief pattern. The other fireplace (in which would have been the kitchen) is much simpler in design. There are small cupboards either side of the fireplace, on has been removed. The hall is lined with a timber dado, with the doors in the front half of the house being original.

Interior Planning:

The original cottage was small with a four room arrangement either side of a central corridor. Because of the slope of the site there was also a “carriage house” below the main house. The original rooms are quite small and alterations have been made to the back half of the house. In more recent time the owners opened up the back room removing the corridor and added a bathroom. The front rooms are original in their size and planning.

Rusticated weatherboards, timber joinery, corrugated iron roof. Timber dado, architraves, skirting, and surrounds.

Austin Street lies high on the Mount Victoria, close to the town belt, and running parallel to the ridge that runs run to south. 62 Austin Street lies on the western side of the street, facing westward with an attractive view over the city towards Aro Valley and Kelburn. It is a residential area, and the house is surrounded by houses of similar age, quality, and prestige.

• Architectural

  Does the item have architectural or artistic value for characteristics that may include its design, style, era, form, scale, materials, colour, texture, patina of age, quality of space, craftsmanship, smells, and sounds?

  The cottage was originally a very simple, single storey, worker’s villa which featured rusticated timber weatherboards and timber joinery. In 1997 a second storey addition was constructed that dramatically altered the form of the cottage. The house now appears as a two storey, weatherboard, house with a gable roof. There has been some ornamentation added in the form of gable trusses.

• Association

  Is the item associated with an important historic event, theme, pattern, phase, or activity?

  The house at 62 Austin Street has some modest historical value for its association with the settlement and development of Wellington.

• Archaeological

  Does the item have archaeological value for its ability to provide scientific information about past human activity?

  The house probably has archaeological value for the presence of a likely pre-1900 building.

• Identity Sense Of Place Continuity

  Is the item a focus of community, regional, or national identity? Does the item contribute to sense of place or continuity?

  The house at 62 Austin Street contributes to a sense of place in Mount Victoria as one of Wellington’s earliest suburbs. The house also has continuity value having been a residential property for over one hundred years.

• Authentic

  Does the item have authenticity or integrity because it retains significant fabric from the time of its construction or from later periods when important additions or modifications were carried out?

  The house has some authenticity due to the presence of original materials but a lot of the home’s heritage integrity was lost with the addition of another storey in 1997.

• Representative

  Is the item a good example of the class it represents?

  The original house at 62 Austin Street is representative of the type of cottages built in Wellington before the turn of the twentieth century.

• Importance

  Is the item important for any of the above characteristics at a local, regional, national, or international level?

  The house at 62 Austin Street is significant at a local level.

Not assessed

• Wellington City Council Archive Files 00058:0:C59677; 00078:1277:38036; 00078:638:74415.
• Wellington City Council. ‘Cottage – 62 Austin Street’. In Heritage Inventory 1995. WCC.Criteria for assessing cultural heritage significance

• Inventory Report

Not available