Dorset House was originally called Remuera (Remu-wera – a Maori word that roughly translates to "burnt hem of a garment") and built in 1871 by J.B.Way. Mr Way emigrated to New Zealand during the 1850's, and named the house after his home in Auckland where he lived for several years. Mr Way lived at Remuera with his wife Hannah and their children. He was as a cash buyer of oats and barley who moved into importing and selling timber. The firm eventually became the Addington Timber Company. Unfortunately, Mrs Hannah Way died at the age of 74, just 4 months after their golden wedding anniversary, in 1912. The house was to remain in the Way family for 72 years.
The impressive 13.7 by 5.4 metre drawing room (now the guest lounge) was built for the wedding of one of the Way daughters, Annie, in 1889. Anecdotes from prior residents suggest that this room was also used as a ballroom at times while the house was a private home.
In Victorian times a drawing-room was used for comfortable sitting and as the principal room for entertaining. A drawing room was earlier titled the ‘withdrawing room’ because it was used for women to withdraw after dinner.
The site also included 6 stalls in the stable and a coach house, with double gates leading onto Dublin St. The location of our neighbour's white house at 112 Park Terrace was originally part of Remuera's garden. Although now known as 1 Dorset St, the property's original address was 112 Park Terrace. Portulaca grew in the circular driveway, where the white house is now, and croquet was played on the lawn where the red brick house is now sited. The land belonging to the house extended as far as Carlton Mill Corner in the early days. There was also a boat shed belonging to the house.
The house was lavish and very well appointed for its time and included three Italian marble fireplaces (one marble fireplace remains, two were sold to the Addington Raceway Members Stand - which has since burnt down). At its grandest, the house had 27 rooms. The carpets were Persian.
Mr Way had a large family of seven children including five daughters and two sons. Only two of the daughters married and the house remained in the name of Jack Way, accountant, who lived here with two of the unmarried sisters.
The house stayed in the Way family for about 70 years until it was sold in 1943. It was then divided into five flats and land around it sold off to be used for other houses.
Some memories have been shared by one of the Way granddaughters, recalling - at the age of 90 - some of her childhood holidays at her grandparents home, Remuera:
"Hannah Way was gentle and loving and a beautiful knitter - capes in rib, and slippers. She slept in a curtained bed with grey-green curtains. She would get up (with the help of two daughters) mid-morning, have lunch and then rest with her feet up on a leather sofa. She always wore a Hunter watch."
"Grandfather (J.B Way) read books - Dickens and Thackeray, and the morning and evening papers. He loved flowers and talked gardening all through lunch. He imported bulbs from England. There would be visitors for afternoon tea - Grandmother would sit on the verandah knitting - Grandfather played croquet with the aunts. Aunt Nell would be busy with her fernery".
"They had their own boatshed and the aunts used to row Grandfather to the office in time to open the mail at 11am. It was a heavy boat. Only two aunts ever went out together, one stayed at home looking after their parents and the maids. The staff - two maids, char, one gardener and stableman. Latterly Aunt Jane did the ordering and the housekeeping, being the oldest. Aunt Em went to the post with the letters. They subscribed to 'Punch' and 'The Illustrated London News'. The 'Family Herald' was bought for the maids and kept in the upstairs loo!"
The Way family had always had maids, and this labour became difficult to find during the war. Subsequently the family did not know how to cook for a large household themselves, therefore were forced to sell Remuera. In 1943, the house was sold to the Nutt family for £3,000. The government controlled house pricing during the war, so this is why the house was sold cheaply. The house was then divided into five flats. The family sold off the two front sections of land that had their boundaries along Park Terrace.
In 1972, the Redemptionist Fathers brought the house and it became known as Hafbaeur House. The drawing room that was originally built for the first owners golden wedding anniversary was converted to a chapel for meditation and prayer. Hafbaeur House was used as a retreat for members of the order.
The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Latin: Congregatio Sanctissimi Redemptoris – C.Ss.R or CSSR) is a Roman Catholic missionary order founded in 1732 by Saint Alphonsus Liguori. Members of the order are known as Redemptorists. Priests and brothers continue to work in more than 77 countries around the world.
In 1980 the house was sold to the government and rented to The Richmond Fellowship New Zealand Inc. who renamed it Dorset House. It became a treatment centre and half way house for psychiatric patients. Richmond Fellowship is a major national provider of community mental health and support services in New Zealand and is one of New Zealand’s largest Non-Government Organisations. Richmond Fellowship is part of the international network of Richmond Fellowship and is affiliated with 40 organisations worldwide.
When established in New Zealand in 1978, Richmond Fellowship provided services for young adults with a range of psychological and social needs. Over the past decade Richmond Fellowship has increasingly provided specialist services for people with the most complex and challenging issues. Richmond Fellowship and its clients work together to determine much of the direction of treatment, ensuring support and services are truly client focused. In practice this means that each client’s needs are paramount.
Richmond Fellowship moved out of Dorset House in March 1996 and it remained empty for the next two years as the government tried to find a purchaser.
In November 1998 Dorset House Limited purchased Dorset House. At this stage the house had become quite run down due to a couple of years sitting empty. Richard and Bronwyn Kay had been looking for suitable premises to establish a new backpackers for six months before finding Dorset House which was up for tender. "We fell in love with the place as soon as we saw it and we knew it was the one."
With a helpful real estate agent who went out of his way to help the Kays, the house became theirs - although not without risk as a critical resource consent was pending. "If the resource consent had gone wrong we would have been in real trouble." They spent the summer of 1998-1999 gutting and fully renovating the building - not a small task after two years of neglect. Over that summer they worked long days - and most nights - renovating the house room by room. Living a nomadic life they slept and cooked wherever they could so that the rejuvenation process could continue unimpeded. The house had been upgraded by the government to accommodate patients and therefore had sprinklers and other facilities making it ideal for large numbers of guests. "If the sprinkler system alone hadn't been installed we would've just had to walk away as we would never have been able to afford it."
The backpackers 'Dorset House' opened in January 1999 and billeted the first paying customer after only six weeks of work. Richard Kay managed and ran the hostel and drew on previous experience as a backpackers hostel owner in Kaikoura. The family had been running "Kays" backpackers since 1992. Richard's roots stretched back to the family farm in Duvauchelle on Banks Peninsula. "I like Christchurch and after the time in Kaikoura it was time to get back home."
Richard and Bronwyn worked hard and succeeding in establishing a friendly hostel with good amenities and a place many backpackers consider a home away from home. "The crystal chandeliers have all gone but many of the delights remain. Amazingly, after such unlikely owners and caretakers, the house has lasted incredibly well".
Dorset House Limited decided to sell the property in 2006 as after over 15 years as a backpackers hostel owner and manager, Richard was ready to move on to a new challenge.
(Interview with Richard - nzine.co.nz, July 2000).
In November 2006, Dorset House Lodge Limited saw the potential of the property as a business and purchased Dorset House Backpackers. Michelle Abley and her husband Steve came into the budget accommodation business with new and exciting ideas for Dorset House and made many improvements between 2006 - 2011.
Dorset House closed for repairs following the earthquake in Christchurch on 22 February, 2012. It will re-open, having been fully repaired and renovated, on 05 March 2012. Michelle and Steve are thrilled that their grand old lady is looking better than ever, and look forward once more to welcoming guests through the doors.
