Allendale House  

Allendale House, home of ASB Community Trust.

SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT DATES

  • l4th-19th century: Auckland isthmus occupied by Maori.
  • 1840: Auckland City established.
  • 1845: Mr. John Kelly, a surveyor, bought a block of land covering 15.58ha off the crown. This piece of land sold six weeks later to Mr. John Montefiore, who also bought at the same time six neighbouring allotments, the whole lot covering what is now most of Grey Lynn, an area of 91.54 ha.
  • 1847: All this land sold to Messrs. James Williamson and Thomas Crummer, to be farmed for over forty years as the Surrey Hills Farm Estate.
  • 1883: Surrey Hills Farm Estate sold to the Auckland Agricultural Co. Ltd. which then subdivided it into residential lots to be sold off.
  • 1891: The lot with the present house bought by Mr. George Allen, a saddler. He then built the present house as a townhouse, and let it out to various people over the next ten years.
  • 1902: Mr. Richard 0. Hendy bought the property.
  • 1903: Property was a private hospital for two years.
  • 1906: House was the rooms of Dr. Hugh Keith (until 1915).
  • 1912: Death of Mr. Hendy; ownership passed on to his widow Millicent.
  • 1917: House lived in by Mrs. Hendy till. 1926.
  • 1929: Property was a boarding house run by Mrs. C. Parnell.
  • 1930: House used as both home and practice by Dr. Leslie Drury over the next twenty two years.
  • 1941: Death of Mrs. Hendy; property bought by Dr. Drury.
  • 1952: Property sold to Presbyterian Church, which established a hostel for Maori girls. Alterations to house included converting of verandahs to rooms. Brick garage built at rear of property.
  • 1964: Property sold to the Baptist City Mission, which ran a hostel for alcoholics.
  • 1971: Bedroom added at rear of house.
  • 1980: Property bought by Mr. and Mrs. A. P. Littlejohn, who established Orsini’s restaurant (opened 1981). Verandahs restored to original form. Brick garage removed and replaced by carport.
  • 1986: Property sold to Pokiwi Holdings Ltd. and leased back to Orsini’s.
    1987: Orsini’s closed down; property bought by Watts and Hughes Properties Ltd.
  • 1989: Property bought by ASB Community Trust.