Wairoa, Aldgate Explained

Wairoa is a heritage-listed home and garden located in the Adelaide Hills situated at 160 Mount Barker Road between Aldgate and Stirling in South Australia. It was for over three decades the home of Marbury School.

History

The 13ha property was purchased in 1888 by William Horn, and most of the house had been completed by the early 1890s.[1] [2]

Occupied by Marbury School between 1972 and 2004, the home afterwards was converted to a community title and was maintained by a group of families. The gardens have been on occasion opened to the public as part of the Australian Open Garden Scheme, and also hired out for weddings. It was put on the market in 2018 as a private dwelling.[2]

The house and associated buildings were listed on the South Australian Heritage Register with effect from 29 June 1989.[3]

Timeline of ownership

The property has been owned/occupied by:

1888 -1896 William Horn
1896 -1941 Tom Elder Barr-Smith and family
1941 -1965 Daughter Joanna Lang Barr-Smith, Lady Gosse (1886-1965) (Married Sir James Hay Gosse (1876-1952) in 1907)
1965 -1972 Screenings Pty Ltd
1972 -2004 Marbury School, Aldgate
2004 -2007 Maintained by a group of local families
2007 -2018 Community titled; Wendy and Richard Bray, and Kirsty and Ian Dodd.
2018- 2021On the market, as a private 10-bedroomed dwelling with extensive grounds sold to J. Smigielski

Further reading

Library catalog entries:

External links

Copyright photographs:

-35.0111°N 138.7285°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: History . Wairoa . https://web.archive.org/web/20180516225141/http://wairoa.com.au/history/ . 16 May 2018 . dead . 30 October 2021.
  2. Web site: Bowden . Tom . Country House of the Week: A piece of history in Aldgate . realestate.com.au . 4 November 2018 . 30 October 2021.
  3. Web site: Marbury School, including Main House (former dwelling 'Wairoa'), & Guesthouse, Stables, Garden, Gatehouse and Gates . State Heritage Register . . 29 June 1989 . 21 September 2017.