- Family's historic villa in Tararu, built in 1877 by Robert Graham, is for sale.
- The five-bedroom home features extensive grounds, a pool, and has been recently renovated.
- Listing agent Philip Judd highlights its size, location, and suitability as a family home.
Barbara Hennessey’s young sons liked to think their childhood home was haunted.
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It wasn’t. But for two boys growing up in a historic home built by an early pioneer whose name dominates the town of Thames, it became part of the fantasy.
The villa at 107 Victoria Street, in Tararu, was built in 1877 by Robert Graham, after whom Thames' heritage enclave, Grahamstown, is named.
Barbara and her GP husband Kerry bought the five-bedroom home more than 30 years ago, having outgrown their house in the centre of Thames. The house and the 8928sqm section it sits on became the perfect playground for their children.
The home was built in 1877 using native timbers. Photo / Supplied
The owners have carried out improvements to the home in keeping with its rich character. Photo / Supplied
“I think they got agoraphobia when they moved here because there was just so much space and the house needed stuff done,” Barbara said.
“There’s heaps of room for kids to run around. They used to make little mountain bike tracks down the hill and make huts in the bush.” They also loved making up stories about how it was haunted, despite none of them being true.
Even now, her adult sons still love coming back home. Her oldest son even got married on the property.
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The previous owners carried out a sympathetic but significant renovation in 1989 , and just recently the house has been painted inside and out and given a new roof. The Hennesseys have also added a large inground pool and planted 23 olive trees during their tenure.
Barbara said they would also miss the tranquillity of the property, but the time had come to downsize. “We’ve been here for a long time. We want to spend our time doing other stuff.”
An inground pool was a welcome addition to the sun-drenched home. Photo / Supplied
The Victorian-style villa was just as beautiful as the heritage buildings in Grahamstown, which have attracted multiple film crews and tourists over the years.
However, because it was tucked away in Tararu Valley, not many people knew it existed.
“It’s got quite a colourful past,” Barbara told OneRoof.
People once sat in the gardens overlooking a racecourse, also built by Graham, which is now the Tararu rest home, while others would take a small train from town to the property to eat strawberries and cream in the garden.
Graham himself was a prolific developer and politician. The Scot arrived in New Zealand in 1842 and started acquiring and developing land in and around Auckland, including 20 acres of land on the foreshore in Waiwera and 500 acres in Ellerslie, some of which he later sold to the Auckland Racing Club. His acquisition of land in Thames happened after the opening of the Thames goldfield in 1867.
Richardsons listing agent Philip Judd said there was nothing like 107 Victoria Street in Thames in terms of land size and location.
“It’s a majestic site. Being elevated, it gets lots of sun, and the house has views of the sea, as well as the surrounding hills and bush. It’s pretty spectacular.”
Judd said it would make good family home, noting that the previous owners had all been professionals, including a doctor, a nurse, a lawyer, and a high school teacher.
“It’s probably too much house and grounds for a holiday home.”
The property has an RV of $1.14m, but Judd declined to be drawn on price.
- 107 Victoria Street, in Tararu, Thames, is for sale, deadline closing July 15
