Riverina: a piece of NZ history for sale

An historic colonial homestead built by one of New Zealand’s first pioneering industrial families with materials rarely used for construction more than 120-years ago has been placed on the market for sale.

The grand heritage dwelling, known as Riverina, is located on the edge of Warkworth township just north of Auckland, and was built in 1901 for the owner of Wilson’s Cement – above what was the company’s expansive cement manufacturing plant situated in the valley below.

At its peak production during the late 1800s/early 1900s, Wilson’s Cement Works was one of the biggest industrial operations anywhere in New Zealand. Riverina was built for Wilson Cement owner and manager Nathaniel Wilson, his wife Florence, and some of their 10 children.

Riverina homestead has a Category A listing with cultural records agency Heritage New Zealand in recognition of the manor’s importance to construction methods of some 125 years ago, and simultaneously showcasing European architectural influences of the period.

With total faith in the product his company manufactured, Nathaniel Wilson had the stately colonial home built on cements foundations, with 23 centimetres of cement rendering applied to the exterior walls.

The most skilled tradesmen from Wilson Cement Works were recruited to work on building Riverina to a high standard befitting of a wealthy industrialist. Nathaniel Wilson died in 1919 and his descendants sold off the stately property in 1938.

During World War II, Riverina was occupied by the US army marine and infantry divisions as the headquarters for some 40 military camps and training sites around Warkworth, including a military hospital.

Post the war, Riverina was used as shared accommodation for road building gangs constructing State Highway 1 between Dairy Flat and Wellsford. A decade later, the shared accommodation format continued, when Riverina became a hostel for postal and telegraph workers. It wasn’t until 1969 that Riverina was reverted back into a home by its then owners. The grand residence has been vacant for the past seven years.

Reflecting the European-influenced architectural styles of 1900 New Zealand, Riverina’s lower floor contains four large living/dining/family rooms, and kitchen. A grand kauri staircase leads upstairs to the home’s four bedrooms and two bathrooms, with a wide veranda overlooking the lawns and trees below.

Sash windows, soaring ceilings ,elegant wood joinery, and polished kauri flooring exist in every room, while ornately carved modillions and moulded cornices can be seen atop many of the walls and hallways. An ancillary structure at the rear of the home contains a laundry, workshop, and storage shed, with an outside toilet attached constructed in the same method as the main dwelling but with thinner walls.

Auckland Council’s Historic Heritage Evaluation files note that: “Riverina has exceptional local, regional, and national significance – being associated with Nathaniel Wilson, known as ‘father of Warkworth’ who pioneered the cement industry in New Zealand.”

The Heritage Evaluation also highlights: “Designed in the Italianate style, the house has a grand appearance – emphasised by its prominent position.”

The stately Riverina property at 46 Wilson Road is being marketed for sale by tender through Bayleys Warkworth, with the tender closing on November 27. Salesperson Dianna Coman says it has been a career highlight for her to work on marketing the region’s most historic and culturally significant homestead.

“There truly is nothing like Riverina in this region. The building materials and construction methodology using cement rendering were state-of-the-art at the turn of the 20th century, when homes of this prominence were built of wood,” says Coman who has a close family connection to Riverina, with her father-in-law being one of the highway road builders who lived in the lodge during the 1950s.

“It’s testament to the materials and workmanship from more than 120 years ago that Riverina is still stands as she does today. While may need some refurbishment and a fresh interior look, her history and character remain unmistakable.”

Sitting in a park-like setting on approximately 5.84-hectares of land on the edge of Warkworth township, with an adjoining 2.9-hectare land title, Riverina homestead is accessed by a sweeping driveway weaving its way under a canopy of mature trees, some dating back to Nathaniel Wilson’s original plantings. The stately grounds have parking for six vehicles.

As Warkworth’s most well-known heritage home, and as a nod to society gatherings during the Edwardian era, Coman has organised hosted several viewings around Riverina for local historical and community groups before the property is sold.