Newspaper Article 2017 – NZ’s Mt Vernon listed for sale

NZ’s Mt Vernon listed for sale

“There are solid records going back to the 1880s.”
Richard Harding

AN IMPOSING Central Hawke’s Bay country house is for sale – complete with the country’s oldest, privately-owned rain gauge.

Waipukurau’s Mt Vernon, on Lindsay Rd, has been handed down through Richard Harding’s family for the past 135 years,

Along with the family cemetery and a museum in the basement, it also comes with the rain gauge which has contributed to New Zealand’s official rainfall records for more than a century.

“There are solid records going back to the 1880s, but the broken records date back to the 1860s. It’s the longest-running privately-owned rain gauge in the country,” said Harding, adding he would miss the daily job of recording the rainfall levels, which he sent to Niwa once a month.

“It’s part of the family tradition.”

Mr Harding is the fifth, and his children the sixth and final generation, to live in the Heritage New Zealand category one historic place.

Built in 1882 with New Zealand native wood, its design was influenced by American architecture.

“John Harding, the original owner who built the house was a great admirer of George Washington and we’ve been to see the Mt Vernon in America, they’re very similar.” said Mr Harding.

“All our history is here, which is quite unusual, having never thrown anything out. All our family documents are here, right back to the 1840s.”

Among other features, the house has a pool, a tennis court, a library, a converted wine cellar museum – and Mr Harding’s favourite: the drawing room.

“It likes a good party and it’s got the fantastic fire which warms the place up and it’s just a comfortable room.”

Mr Harding would prefer another family buys the house. But no matter who snaps up the treasure, he’s confident his ancestors buried in the on-site cemetery will keep a watchful eye.

“There’s not many people who have their own cemetery. I don’t know if it’s a plus or a minus.”

The house, lawns and even trees are protected, so even though the Harding family is ending a years-long chapter, they are sure their history will live on through Mt Vernon’s next chapter.

Photo captions –

HERITAGE: The Trade Me listing for Mt Vernon describes it as one of Hawke’s Bay’s most imposing homesteads, boasting 556sq m of living space.   PHOTOS/SUPPLIED

NATIVE WOOD: New Zealand timbers abound at Mt Vernon, including the circular Kauri staircase.