The Karaka Bays house owned by Sir Peter Jackson was demolished, with plans to build a garden and outdoor entertainment area. Photo / Google Maps.
The Karaka Bays house owned by Sir Peter Jackson was demolished, with plans to build a garden and outdoor entertainment area. Photo / Google Maps.
A $2.5m house owned by Sir Peter Jackson in Wellington’s affluent Karaka Bays has been demolished.
Council consent documents reveal plans to transform the site into an outdoor entertaining space with a landscaped garden.
Companies Jackson and partner Dame Fran Walsh own have been involved in a number of high-profile land purchases in Lyall Bay and the Miramar Peninsula, where many of his films have been made.
A multimillion-dollar waterfront house owned by Sir Peter Jackson has been demolished, with council documents revealing what the billionaire film director plans to do with the site.
The white weatherboard house in Wellington’s affluent Karaka Bays on the Miramar Peninsula was built in the 1910s. Its rateable value increased to$2,500,000 in 2021.
The property is owned by Stanley Properties Ltd, which has two registered directors being Jackson and his partner Dame Fran Walsh.
The company owns 81 properties, the majority of which are located in Wellington, including 12 houses on the same street in Karaka Bays.
The house that has been demolished. Photo / Google Maps.
Jackson's company owns 12 properties on the street. Photo / Mark Mitchell.
Consent documents released by Wellington City Council reveal what the couple plans to do with the site, with it largely being transformed into an outdoor entertaining space.
Architectural drawings show a sprawling lawn where the house once stood and a feature fireplace with intricate brickwork.
A stone patio with planter boxes and outdoor furniture connects with a new staircase leading to an elevated deck.
The design, commissioned by Tilt Architecture, shows the site will serve as a landscaped garden and outdoor dining area for the neighbouring property, which is also owned by Stanley Properties.
Tilt Architecture has worked on a number of projects for Jackson, with company director Gavin Urquhart previously working as a set designer for the Hobbit film trilogy.
The company has also designed the fit-out concept for Jackson’s long-touted movie museum.
The Herald contacted representatives for Jackson about the plans but got no response.
The site will be used as a garden and outdoor entertainment area for the property next door, which records show is also owned by Stanley Properties. Photo / Wellington City Council.
The plans show proposed construction elements. Items dashed in red are being removed. Photo / Wellington City Council.
The design includes a fireplace, patio, and outdoor dining area. Photo / Wellington City Council.
Jackson, a born-and-bred Wellingtonian, has been involved in a number of high-profile property and land purchases over the past decade, particularly on the Miramar Peninsula.
“It’s a wonderful coastline that holds a great deal of cultural and historical significance. Suffice to say we are looking forward to restoring the natural beauty of the bay,” they said at the time.
Construction workers at the Karaka Bays Road property. Photo / Mark Mitchell
The seaside property has direct views out to the ocean. Photo / Mark Mitchell.
Miramar Peninsula is also home to Wētā Workshop, Wingnut Films, Park Road Post Production and Stone Street Studios, where many of Jackson’s films have been made.
In 2011 the couple bought Wellington’s BATS theatre to undertake earthquake strengthening and save the struggling theatre.
Last year they gifted $2 million to help build Wellington’s new National Music Centre in the Town Hall, a collaboration between Wellington City Council, Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington (VUW) and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO).
Shelly Bay is now owned by Sir Peter Jackson and Dame Fran Walsh. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Earlier this year Jackson’s name was back in the headlines with his involvement in what was described as the “biggest land deal of the year”.
Interests associated with Jackson and Walsh spent $105 million buying a large piece of land in Lyall Bay near the city’s airport, under another company LB HC, standing for Lyall Bay Holding Company.
Lyall Bay is rumoured to be where Jackson plans to build his movie museum.
The NBR included Jackson in its 2024 rich list, estimating the 63 year-old’s net worth to be approximately $3 billion.
Forbes ranks Jackson as the 2191st wealthiest individual in the world, reporting he became a billionaire in November 2021 after selling a chunk of Weta to Unity Software.
Ethan Manera is a multimedia journalist based in Wellington. He joined NZME in 2023 and is interested in local issues, politics, and property development in the capital. Ethan is always on the lookout for a story and can be emailed at ethan.manera@nzme.co.nz.
