- Two Scots have bought the Lawrence villa once owned by God Defend New Zealand composer John Joseph Woods.
- The three-bedroom home sold for $675,000, $20,000 under asking, due to needed repairs.
- The new owners, originally from Scotland, were living in Whangārei before deciding to move south.
Two Scots have snapped up the house that once belonged to the composer of New Zealand’s national anthem.
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The three-bedroom, double-brick villa on Lancaster Street, in Lawrence, Clutha, was built in the early 1900s by local teacher and choirmaster John Joseph Woods, who wrote the music to God Defend New Zealand.
The house hit the market at the end of last year for the first time in over 30 years. The listing agent joked that it was going for a song, with a price tag of just under $700,000.
The new owners are originally from Scotland but were living in Whangārei when they spotted the villa for sale and decided to move.
The All Blacks sing the national anthem at Eden Park. The music was composed by choirmaster John Joseph Woods in the 1870s. Photo / Getty Images
Woods’ luxury villa was built in the early 1900s. Some of the original features still survive. Photo / Supplied
Ray White listing agent Megan Young told OneRoof that the retirees had to sell their own home first before they could go unconditional.
“Their dream was to live in the South Island. Up north it’s wet and rainy; Lawrence really surpasses that. Here you get the four seasons,” Young said.
Young said reasonably priced homes were turning over in Lawrence. “We’re really competing against the Dunedin market at the moment. But recently we’ve just sold a few big parcels of land and some houses now, so that’s been positive.”
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The Lancaster Street home fetched $675,000, $20,000 under the asking price, but the sale price factored in the fact the house needed a new roof and other work.
Vendors Jill and Graham Wallace said they were busy packing up ahead of the settlement date in August.
Jill told OneRoof that they were looking at moving to Waikouaiti, to be closer to Dunedin. “It’s only half an hour from the hospital, which will be a lot better than going through icy Manuka Gorge.”
Their home was deemed one of the town’s best when it was built in the early 1900s, and many of the original features have survived the march of time.
The Wallaces bought the home in 1990, paying just under $50,000, and were meticulous about preserving the home’s history. That included the fireplaces and the kitchen coal range. There was even a maid button on the front door for visitors. Woods had a live-in maid and gardener.
The vendors bought the heritage property in 1990 for just under $50,000. Photo / Supplied
The property sits on over 2000sqm and boasts a beautiful garden. Photo / Supplied
Lawrence was a wealthy town when the home was built, and Woods’ standing was reflected in the “modern conveniences” his home boasted, including a bathroom and a scullery.
Each had “the latest improved taps ... [and] large china washbasins”, Heritage New Zealand noted in its description of the property, dubbed “Anthem House”.
The Wallaces were living in Queenstown when they spotted a listing for the house. “We were at a bit of a crossroads, and we spotted an ad in the paper.” They initially thought the $44,000 price tag was missing a digit, but they pounced anyway.
At that time, the home needed a lot of upgrading. There was a hole in the kitchen big enough for the cat to get through, and the toilet was at risk of falling through the floorboards.
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