Tim and Charlotte Vickers are leaving the historic home, which features kauri milled by the Goldie family. Photo / Michael Craig
Tim and Charlotte Vickers are leaving the historic home, which features kauri milled by the Goldie family. Photo / Michael Craig
Links with famous painter an added bonus in heritage home built of kauri
When Tim and Charlotte Vickers bought a stunning Edwardian villa, they secretly hoped to find a long-forgotten painting by Charles F Goldie tucked away in the attic.
The impressive two-level Herne Bay mansion at 54 Wallace St has sweeping views of Auckland Harbour and was built by the famous painter's family. Goldie is also understood to have lived there.
His paintings fetch more than $700,000, so the discovery of a stashed Goldie would have indeed been gold.
No painting was discovered but the family have enjoyed researching the artist, his colourful timber-merchant family and his father, who was once Mayor of Auckland.
The Vickers are now selling their home "with heavy hearts" to be close to their daughters' school in Remuera.
For sale: 54 Wallace St, Herne Bay.
Bayleys agent Karen Spires describes the 385sqm house on 900sqm with a CV of $6 million as "one of the best houses in Auckland - sheer perfection".
When the Vickers bought the home nine years ago they were told Goldie's parents, David and Maria, built it for their family of five sons and three daughters.
Tim Vickers has since discovered the house was most likely to have been built by Charles' brother Arthur, who took over the booming family kauri business.
"From what I understand, Arthur built the house in the early 1900s and his wife, Mamie, lived there through to 1952 when it was sold to Sir Alexander McKenzie," Tim Vickers said.
Only three families have lived in the villa - the Goldies, the McKenzies and the Vickers.
The Goldie family also owned another villa across the street.
The property was built by Charles F Goldie's family.
Not much of the home's history has been recorded but an old flagpole remains in place - unlike a cannon that was stolen from the front yard.
The theft of the cannon, once owned by Captain William Hobson, was reported to police in 1973 by Sir Alexander.
The house today is mostly original, apart from sympathetic renovations carried out in 2006 by well-known developer Layne Stephens and Jones Architects.
The stunning home is built from kauri timber the Goldies milled.
It still includes the original fireplaces, turned and carved banisters, pressed tin ceilings and the original fretwork.
"If you really look you can see which ceilings are original and which have been restored, but it is pretty hard - they have done amazing work," Tim Vickers said.
Charlotte Vickers said despite the property's age, it functioned well as a modern home.
"It has been a very social house with parties by the pool, bouncy castles on the lawn and plenty of dinner parties," she said.
"It was not an easy decision to sell."
The historic home has four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a large formal dining room, formal lounge, romantic verandas, an open-plan kitchen/family area with butler's pantry, a sheltered west-facing loggia and a heated pool.
