 Beginnings
In the 1700’s the Ngati Kawerau set
up a fortress called Te Matarae on the high cliffs of Kauri
Point, it was an ideal spot allowing warning of the enemy
tribes who chose to cross the Waitemata Harbour and giving
Maori villagers easy access to the bush and sea where they
found most of their food. Throughout the years of Maori
settlement on Kauri Point Auckland saw huge tribal battles
for land. Ngati Kawerau managed to avoid serious clashes
with other tribes for over 150 years however when the land
was sold in 1841 as part of the Mahurangi block they then
moved to join up with other villages or settled elsewhere
on the northern slopes of Auckland.
When the first Europeans arrived in 1857 the land had
reverted back to wilderness and it was not successful for
stock and crops. The success of the area was fruit growing,
especially Strawberries. The settlers called the area Birkenhead
because the new settlement was a ferry trip away from the
city centre and developing along the ridges of the area-similar
to the English town called Birkenhead where people ferried
across the Mersey to the city of Liverpool.
Past
Stafford Villa has been a family home since 1903, a historic
double bay villa, Stafford Villa is the original name of
the house the name taken from the family village of Staffordshire
in England.
The first owners The Hayman family purchased the house after
spending some time in China and India as missionary's. It
was a very lively place with seven boys, one girl and two
maiden aunts! Frances Hayman, lived in the house with two
of her brothers till the 1950's.
It had a chequered past for the next forty years, spilt
into two flats. New owners in 1977 commenced renovations
to restore the house to its full glory-reconstruction took
nine years, the result is a very fine classic double bay
villa with full return veranda on two levels - the verandas
include 500 turned pieces of Kauri! The Kauri staircase
which connects the upper and lower floors was rediscovered
after it had been boarded up for 50 years, the house features
magnificent Kauri ceilings and polished floors.
Present
Mark and Christina purchased the house in March 1999, the
Villa was renovated and restored bringing back the style
of a bygone area and adding some mod cons like central heating,
state of the art security system, modern kitchen appliances,
and modern bathrooms.
Stafford Villa is on the Birkenhead historic list and
is grade two of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.
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