Matheson bay - making history

By VICKY HOLDER

The Matheson homestead had its beginnings in 1857, when Captain Angus Matheson and his brother Duncan made the perilous journey from Nova Scotia to Matheson Bay to start a better life for their families.

They built two small homes and etched out a life building ships in their new homeland, just south of Leigh. Duncan's house, which is now up for sale, was built of kauri weatherboards held together by four-inch square iron nails. It also has finely grained panelled ceilings. There was no lining to the walls and the original roof was made of kauri shingles (since replaced with iron). The two bedrooms upstairs were reached by a narrow companionway staircase, built of kauri and reminiscent of a sailing ship.

Four Norfolk pines tower at the back of the house. Landmarks on local shipping charts, they are protected by Historic Places Trust. It's thought Duncan brought the trees back from Norfolk Island on one of his trading trips.

The Matheson brothers continued their shipbuilding trade and built four ships. It was during the final fitting of Three Cheers, in 1884, that Duncan was killed. He was working on the mast in the shipyards in Auckland when a huge spar fell on him, fatally wounding him. There was no means of easy communication with Matheson Bay, so a ship was sent to Duncan's family to relay the news. Duncan was buried in the cemetery underneath what is now Grafton Bridge.

Ship building at Matheson Bay stopped after Duncan's death, although the workshop remained in the bay until the early 1900s. Duncan's wife, Catherine, stayed on in the cottage with her two sons and three daughters. When one son, Roderick married, his wife Eva moved into the house.

Roderick and Eva had four children and farmed the surrounding land. Later, they began commercial fishing. Life in Matheson Bay was not easy. Electricity only came to the bay in the 1950s. There were no proper roads. A journey to Auckland, which now takes less than an hour, took a full day by road and five hours by steamer. Mail was infrequent and phones were not installed until the late 1950s. Water was collected in a corrugated-iron tank. Washing was boiled in a copper over an outside fire. Hard times took their toll and Roderick died of an ulcer aged 54.

In 1943, the property was sold. The new owner added a lean-to with a small bathroom to the back of the house. The home was sold again in 1960 to Dr Lindo Fergusson, who turned one of the downstairs bedrooms into a bathroom.

In 1983, Auckland businessman Charles Bidwill bought the house and restored it, retaining the character of the original dwelling as much as possible. He stripped the painted kauri ceilings back to their original state. The scrim, used to line the walls, was replaced by hardboard. A dormer window was added to the upper floor in the front of the house. Large windows and glass doors were put into the east wall. And one of the upstairs bedrooms was converted to a dressing room/bathroom.

The upgraded Matheson house became a weekend retreat for Charles Bidwill, Sue Kellaway and their children. They landscaped the grounds - levelled the lawn, demolished the old garage and built a new driveway and a semi-circular lookout - and added a larger kitchen/dining room, laundry, security storage room, toilet and back hall to the house.

Now, four bedrooms, one with an en suite, two lounges with two fireplaces, two bathrooms, a sunroom and private decks with barbecue nooks make this one of the grandest homes in the area. Not only a historical landmark, it is the ultimate beach house, less than an hour north from downtown Auckland.

Vital statistics:

Address: 65 Grand View Dr, Matheson Bay.

Features: Big open-plan kitchen/living area with kauri ceilings, timber floors and spectacular views over the bay; two modern bathrooms; four bedrooms; lookout deck; extensive lawn area, enhanced by large trees; access to beach from the lawn.

Size: Land area 2935 sq m.

Auction: Wednesday March 7 at 2.00pm in Bayleys Auction Rooms.

Agents: Viv Wyatt, Harveys Broadbent Northland Real Estate, Warkworth. Ph 09 425 1077 bus; 025 976 046 mob. David Rainbow, Bayleys, Newmarket. Ph 09 520 8888 bus; 025 923 364 mob.