WELCOME to FYFFE HOUSE and HISTORIC AREA.

Rich in human history, the story of this area began with the arrival of the ancestors of today's Maori people. Hunting the southern right whale, Europeans arrived over sixhundred years later. Today this house, along with the stories it tells of a developing town and the three families that lived here, are all that remains of the "Waiopuka Fishery", Robert Fyfe's whaling station that was established in 1842 .

The Fyffe's 1844 - 1868
Both Robert Fyfe and George Fyffe (Cousins who spelt their surnames differently)
Whaling, farming and trading.

The Goodall's 1868 - 1920
Developed this area and the wharf.

The Low's 1920 - 1980
A fishing family who lived in this house for almost sixty years
.

The earliest part of the House is the single storied wing which sits on whale bone vertebrae foundations. It was originally built by Robert Fyfe for the cooper (who made barrels in which the whale oil was transported and stored) Robert Fyfe drowned in 1854 and his cousin George managed the whaling station and associated farming activities. George built the rest of the House in two stages, the southern end in 1857 and it was completed in the early 1860's when he married his wife Catherine.
The House, largely in original condition, is administered by the
New Zealand Historic Places Trust and is open to the public.
email: fyffe@historic.org.nz

Outside and around the house.
(See also - Fyffe House Historic Area)

Front Garden - Based on a traditional cottage style garden, there was a flower garden in this area the Goodall's lived here and a cottage garden tended by Maude Low.

Side Garden - Follows a serpentine shape developed into a cottage style garden in recent years.

Granny Low's Garden - Posts to the west of the house mark Maude Low's vegetable plot. This sustained the family from the 1920's when they moved into the house.

Po Tangaroa - Carve at Takahanga Marae in 2001. This signifies the first people who came to this area hundreds of years ago and those who followed.

Pink Shed - This was built as a shelter for the curators car in the 1980's. Now it is available free to locals to use as a gallery for exhibitions and other activities - It may be open, check it out!
Behind here you will find George Low's old clinker built fishing boat. When George retired he kept his boat in the parlour.

Whale bone fence posts - East from the back of the house are the two remaining posts of the original whale bone fence.

Concrete Foundations - To the east of the house the original foundations of the Pier Hotel remain in the grass, as are those of the storage facilities used when this was a port.

Traditionally the house was painted pink with the first paint being a primer mixed of red and white lead with oil.