100 Mt Albert Road, Mt Albert, Auckland
Second in the series of visits to Auckland’s heritage homes the MOTAT Society visited Alberton in August. Alberton was the home of the Kerr-Taylor family from 1863 to 1968 when the last surviving daughter, Sophia bequeathed the house to the then Historic Places Trust (now Heritage NZ Pouhere Taonga).
The lives lived in the house are tangible. 80% of the 9000 artefacts displayed in the house belonged to Kerr-Taylor family members. Clothing, toys, tools, games, documents and diaries, photographs, carpets and wall papers.
The 500 acres of land originally farmed by the Kerr- Taylor family has been reduced over time to a modest sized, almost suburban lot.
The entrance to the house at one time may have been from New North Road and in a broad sweep the driveway may have approached the house from the north. The house is set in 6 acres of garden with trees that matured to huge proportion with ponds and fountains reaching a grand flight of stairs on the impressive two storey broad and deep verandaed north side.
Magnificent!!
Not quite so today though with the good life sustained by the progressive sale of land to the expanding suburbs of Auckland.
Today the entrance is from a little cul-de-sac off Mt Albert Road and involves a steep short driveway to an entry formed and used as an accessible public entrance.
The final form of the house reflects the growth of the family which produced 12 children. Servants’ rooms are on a third floor in the roof space, accessed by ladder stairs.
Allan Ker-Taylor, born in India in 1832, built the original home, a conventional two storey farmhouse, in 1863. As the family grew, additional space was required. The architect employed Indian imagery in vernacular materials to the veranda corner towers with inventive corrugated iron turrets and the wonderful window/doors which access the house from the verandas on both storeys. The door/windows have the wall below the sill hinged and the lower window of the double hung sashes are able to be raised to allow an adult through and control access while offering ventilation.
Rooms in the house have scant electrical features (electricity was added in 1920). Many of the ceilings have no light fittings giving an atmosphere of natural light or candlelight only.
The verandas are deep and create an external circulation path between rooms. The door/windows are an impressive idea beautifully executed.
The north side external grand stair leads to the central door/window on the ground floor as the original main entry, or was this modified for consistency and the original front door relocated to the current entry?
The house is inventive and amusing in its various additions and radiates a happiness of family lives well lived. The ballroom is grand yet understated. The kitchen is a double fireplace bright and sunny social room with small windows to maintain ventilation and privacy for the utilitarian works.
The detached laundry contains the eight metre deep well and various tools from the distant gardening and repair past.
The MOTAT Society enjoyed a morning tea of biscuits and silver tea pots on the veranda once used by the family as an active living space and we appreciated the views of the grounds.
The house is a wonderful asset to heritage in Auckland and beautifully presented by Heritage NZ Pouhere Taonga. It is a must visit location.
Alberton features as the set for the NZ film “White Lies” (2013) about cultural identity and truth. If I recall correctly Highwic is also used for some scenes. A must-see film.
Clockwise from top left: Bay window in the ballroom; The current main entry and kitchen wing with small windows; The door/window design common to all rooms opening onto the veranda; Tea on the veranda; Wallpaper; Architect for the alterations.
Words and images by Bruce Wild
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