Larnach Castle - The Purdie Years (1927 to 1940) - Part Three

Larnach Castle at it appeared pre-1935. Part of Mrs Purdie's
Rock Garden appears in the foreground along with a small
"German Dwarf". Note also the carving on a plinth behind.
[Credit : Miss MTL Watson / GenFram Image Archive]

This Continues my eight part Blog Series on the Purdie family ownership of Larnach Castle. To Read the First Instalment in this series please click HERE. 

Mrs Purdie's Garden Installations

Today we shall explore how Mrs Purdie's vision, and that of her Head Gardener, Mr Ira Vincent Thornicroft (b. Dunedin 1903, d. Gwelup, Western Australia 1984, aged 81), created a beautifully laid out Victorian style garden to grace the Castle and which would be greatly admired and enjoyed by so many visitors during the 1930's. And also which elements of her beloved garden are still evident today. I would stress that this is not a definitive description (i'll leave that to Mrs Barker) but rather a general overview of some historical features including specific detail I have noted in photographs and which I believe are worth highlighting. 

Mrs Laura Purdie,
Taken 25 Dec 1927
[Credit : Mrs L. Hormann]

Mrs Purdie herself is also noted as having been “an avid gardener” and laid out the gardens “in the Victorian style”. Her legacy and vision, and that of her Head Gardener,  Mr Thornicroft, can still be viewed today in the rockery (only part of which appears in the top photo), now being known as the “lost rock garden”, and having been “the pride and joy of both it’s creator and owner”. After the Purdie’s departed it would became neglected, overgrown and quite literally 'lost', only being rediscovered after Mr Thornicroft paid a visit many years later and alerted the Barker’s to its existence, then being hidden by a 'jungle' of trees and undergrowth. The said rockery had also contained a “bridge, pond, grotto, and stream”, of which there was now no visible evidence. So, all in all, very hidden indeed.

Their niece, Mrs Lorna Hormann recalled that Mr Purdie employed men from his Castle Street wood and coal company to help move the rocks to form the rockery which would cover a third of a hectare. There was a union strike but since they needed money for their families, Mr Purdie discreetly trucked them up to the Castle where they agreed to work without being seen. I believe Mr Purdie, with his strong Christian values and hospitable nature would, like William Larnach, have been a fair and respected employer. 

Larnach himself is remembered as “an honourable man” and is in fact known to have been exceedingly kind and generous to his workmen. I even noted that he had acted as Witness for a Groomsman's marriage, signing his name in the Peninsula Presbyterian Parish Marriage Register. Hardly, at least in regards to his staff, the “arrogant and autocratic” man that Historian Hardwicke Knight sadly avers he would become later in life.

Mrs Purdie's Goldfish Pond & Italian Fountain,
Taken pre-April 1934
[Credit : Miss MTL Watson / GenFram Image Archive]

 

Another inspired garden installation created by the Purdie’s is a raised Italianate style circular front lawn with a central goldfish pond. Mrs Hormann recalled that her Aunt purchased the still extant single tier marble fountain for the pond while on a trip to Venice while Mrs Barker additionally states that it specifically came from Pisa. The fountain, which now creates an elegant water feature, actually went missing in transit to New Zealand and never turned up. Apparently “years later” it was spotted by a friend – all wrapped up, correctly labelled, and for whatever reason – sitting in a Sydney shipping warehouse. It had assumedly been off-loaded for trans-shipment but then simply overlooked and somehow forgotten. If you've read my Blog on the much travelled 'unkucky' Tokomairiro Presbyterian Church bell you will know that much stranger things have indeed occurred.

A close-up of the Italian Fountain.
The "Ibis" and "Frog" are highlighted.
Taken pre-April 1934
[Credit Miss MTL Watson / Genfram Image Archive]

The fountain was then, no doubt with some relief, sent on the final leg of its journey and installed where it remains to this day. I note that is has, however, since lost the small round circular carved acanthus finial above the upper fountain trough just under where the water was ejected. I personally think it maybe looks better without it but it does appear to be a traditional feature of such fountain design. Mrs Purdie also placed a carved ibis and frog in the goldfish pond beside the fountain, the Ibis noted as being repaired by the new owners in 1945, but sadly, neither feature are extant today. A 1937 visitor refers to the "fish pond" so it would definitely appear to have then contained goldfish.

A no longer extant feature on the raised front lawn were four defined pathways, roughly on a north, west, south and east axis which extended from still extant side steps and joined a central pathway around the fish pond. But far from being pebble pathways, they look decidedly stoney and were possibly stone chips from past building work, so perhaps not exactly comfortable to walk across in light footwear. These pathways, which you can just see a portion of in the upper pond photo above, unfortunately appear to have disappeared by the 1940's, possibly for ease of lawn maintenance. Together with the still extant pond and fountain, the pathways were a quite striking feature of the front lawn design. You will be able to see a good framed photo of the original front lawn design hanging in the corridor leading to the Castle ballroom café.  

One of Mr Purdie's "German Dwarfs"
[Credit : National Library of New Zealand]

Another no longer extant but rather intriguing feature of Mrs Purdie's garden were a number of "German Dwarfs", most, I gather decorating a "Little Rockery". And did you spot the one hiding in the "Lost" Rock Garden in the very top photo? This larger one with a peaked drooping hat is positioned beside the entrance to the entrance to the Ballroom corridor and basement level of the Castle. I note that this same dwarf also appears in the late 1920's photo of the Castle I featured in Part Two of this series so had been a long-term and intriguing guardian silently greeting guests entering the ballroom and café corridor, then being the only public access from the garden. 

A 1930's Photo of the Garden Pergola
[Credit : "The Ordeal of William Larnach, 1981]

The elegant etched glass cupola in the Castle gardens is of great historical interest. Mrs Purdie herself confirms that "the little round summer house in the grounds" was her inspiration and that the dome, being of "french glass", came from the "Paloona, one of the Union Steam Ship Company vessels". In her memoirs, her niece Mrs Hormann also speaks of it, stating that it had stood above the saloon in what she termed; “Mrs Purdie’s favourite ship”. 

This was in fact originally the former Huddart Parker Line 2771 ton triple expansion steam ship “Zealandia” (built 1899 in Dundee) which, in 1908, was purchased by the Union Steam Ship Company and then re-named “Paloona”. Described as a “stately” vessel, the "Paloona" then served the Company on the Trans-Tasman, Inter-Island and Pacific routes until laid up at Port Chalmers in 1922.  It would be during her service with the company that Mrs Purdie came to know the vessel. The 1899 "Zealandia" should however not be confused with earlier sailing vessels of the same name. While referred to as from a "sailing ship" in a Castle information handout I note that it has been correctly attributed to the "Paloona" on one of their information boards and additionally, is also correctly attributed to the "Zealandia" / "Paloona" in the Heritage New Zealand website entry. 

The restored Cupola as is appears today.
Note the gold painted finial.
[From my own collection]

In March 1928 the "Paloona" was stripped of her fittings before “her dilapidated shell” was towed out to the Otago Heads and sunk at The Mole to act as a breakwater. When the ship’s fitting were sold in 1928, Mrs Purdie was able to purchase the dome and with her usual vision and flair had it erected in her garden on six decorative cast iron supports which are also of historical interest. While these would appear to have been erroneously attributed to having come from a shop veranda, Mrs Purdie helpfully tells us that they were in fact the original "upright supports" that had supported the lamps on; "the old Leith Street Bridge". I note that the Leith Street Bridge over the Water of Leith had been washed out in a flood on the 19th to 20th March 1929 and fully replaced so the time period certainly fits but I can find no period photo of the said bridge to support this specific attribution. 

Atop the dome Mrs Purdie placed a round pointed finial that had originally graced one corner of the Castle roof. After vandalism and a fallen cedar tree branch had sadly taken its toll and smashed some of the curved and painted glass it was expertly replicated and replaced some years ago, no doubt at some considerable cost.

"Princess Charlotte" (and other objects) which
Mrs Purdie placed under the Cupola, c.1929-1930
Note also the croquet hoops at left rear.
[Credit : Te Papa Tongarewa]

Mrs Purdie would, after the installation of her "Summer House", add decorative items with a distinct nautical theme. Under the dome, Mrs Purdie placed, as confirmed by Mrs Hormann, a ship's figurehead of “Princess Charlotte” with a date of "1821" on a plaque. After the Purdie’s temporarily left the Castle in March 1937 this same figurehead would purportedly be found dumped in Otago Harbour before being duly returned but I have no further details of this incident. The bust is at least confirmed to have still been under the dome after the Purdie's departure, being noted by an Australian traveller who, with some difficulty, had arranged a visit to the Castle with a Larnach family member just the day after the property was temporarily leased. 

“Princess Charlotte” would refer to Princess Charlotte of Wales (1796-1817) and daughter of George, Prince of Wales and Prince Regent (later King George IV). As to the provenance of the figurehead; "It was an effigy of Princess Charlotte and as far as [Mrs Purdie] could ascertain came from the Royal Navy frigate Princess Charlotte, built in 1821 and destroyed by fire in the Far East some years later". 

The vessel Mrs Purdie refers to was in fact launched in September 1825 and knowing that; "His Royal Highness the Prince of Cobourg [sic Coburg]" (Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, being the late Princess Charlotte's former husband) desired to perform the ship's christening ceremony in memory of his late wife at least confirms the correct attribution to the afore-mentioned "Charlotte". 

But I now seriously believe that the figurehead is not actually from the 1825 "HMS Princess Charlotte". Firstly, it does not match the detailed description of the figurehead given in the "Hampshire Chronicle" after her launching. And secondly, Maritime Historian Stephen Davies, writing in the 2022 journal of the Hong Kong Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, not only tells us that the figurehead was removed from the ship in Hong Kong before being towed to Canton (now Guangzhou) for scrapping in 1875, but that it was still extant in Hong Kong in 1933. He even provides a grainy photograph of the said figurehead which is disimilar to Mrs Purdie's and more closely matches the description given in 1825. All Mrs Purdie could otherwise tell us about it was that, "the figurehead had been purchased by her about 1928".

Unfortunately I can find no other vessels (naval, merchant or passenger) by this name with a specific launch date of "1821" and we only have Mrs Purdies belief (no doubt having been told at purchase) that it was specifically a Royal Navy vessel which we can now, I believe, consider as totally erroneous. The figurehead's true provenance unfortunately appears to have truly been lost in the mists of time.

As to the fate of this object, in 1952 Mrs Purdie gifted it to the "Sea Scouts", having obviously kept it after the 1940 sale of the Castle and most of the contents. In 1965 the figurehead would again (assuming the first reference is correct) suffer another 'dunking' in Otago Harbour having; "been removed from a store at the rear of the cadet training ship, Waireka, and thrown into the water by intruders." It was found and safely returned. I am currently trying to ascertain if the Navy Cadet Unit still retain the said figurehead and will update this entry if further information comes to hand. But needless to say, the original origins of the figurehead now requires further detailed research which may still elicit something. 

As to the other two objects, one is an; "Old Cannon Ball Found on Otago Peninsula Date Unknown" for which I have no further information as to its current whereabouts, and the other object is a small cannon which has a most fascinating history. I will be featuring this historical artefact in Part Four. Note, however, the old decorative wooden lath pergola at the rear in its original position beside the glasshouse, having been erected here in Larnach's day.

"The Duchess" (highlighted), shown in a 
circa 1940's photo
[Credit : Used with the kind permission of Lemuel Lyes]

In the gardens today, there is still the small but well-known bust of “The Duchess” which sits on a plinth fronting the driveway, being a character drawn by artist John Tenniel in 1865 for Lewis Carroll’s novel “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”. According to Mrs Barker, this garden feature, including one of the Knave of Hearts, were both installed during the ownership of the Purdie family in the 1930's and "The Duchess" can certainly clearly be seen in the above circa early 1940's photo.

Two yew trees on the lawn fronting the ballroom were also, according to Mrs Barker, planted by Mrs Purdie.

The old Lath Trellis Pergola
as viewed from the domed cupola.
Taken circa 1929-1930
[Credit : Te Papa Tongarewa]

The above decorative trellis pergola had been an original pre 1898 feature of the gardens and since Larnach’s day stood near the present day perennial flower border (known as The Serpentine Walk), primarily with a north south aspect and close to the glasshouse. A later circa early 1940's photo shows the above pergola had been moved over to and further back on the front lawn enabling, when standing within it, a beautifully framed vista of the Castle frontage together with the pond and fountain. I will feature this view in a later Blog. I am assuming that Mrs Purdie had the pergola moved to this new position after the completion of the Italianate raised front lawn and the installation of the central fish pond and fountain. The pergola is now a permanent (metal work) garden feature in the same position and known today as the “Labernum Pergola”.’

Larnach's Glasshouse with Decorative Gable Ends.
Only the central wall and bases survive today.
[Credit :  "The Ordeal of William Larnach, 1981]

Mrs Purdie and her Gardeners will also have made good use of Larnach’s large glasshouse located on the sunny northern side of the Castle. This was divided along the centre by a brick wall with one whole side being a vinery. After falling into disrepair, including a fire in the 1950's which destroyed much of the structure, only one part of the original roof glazing appears to survive today (or at least looks similar to the earlier version) although the two ends and doorways still appear fairly original. You can also see the glasshouse behind the lath pergola in the above photo from circa 1929-1930. 

So overall a number of features and improvements which formed both William Larnach's and Mrs Laura Purdie’s vision for the gardens are incorporated in and add historical layered elements to the very considerable work undertaken by Mrs Barker since 1967. The seven acres of maintained gardens are now rated by the New Zealand Gardens Trust as a Garden of International Significance. Mrs Purdie would surely have been delighted that her beloved garden continues to not just delight visitors but has continued to evolve and expand. I do recommend Mrs Barker's comprehensive publication; "The Garden at Larnach Castle" (clickable link) and which includes many snippets of history which I have only touched on here.

The "Monster Garden Party" held
at the Castle, Saturday 11 October1930

The 1930 "Monster Garden Party"

Notably, on Saturday the 11th October 1930, Mr and Mrs Purdie would generously host a “Monster Garden Party” under the auspices of the Baptist Church Union during their 48^th annual conference in Dunedin, with delegates attending from all parts of New Zealand. With admission to the grounds by private car or taxi reduced to one shilling (or two shillings and sixpence by bus from Dunedin), the Anderson’s Bay Orchestra would play on the lawn, while delegates could join “specially conducted” tours of the Castle and up to the tower for an extra two shillings and sixpence with a visit to the Ballroom Antique Gallery reduced to just sixpence. Full catering was provided. Providing a wonderful venue, upwards of 700 to 800 guests were entertained with the whole of the proceeds, being £80.0.0 being donated towards Conference expenses. I gather, from the published recollections of Mrs Lorna Hormann, that local Baptist Church picnics in the grounds were also held quite regularly.

We shall now enter into some increasingly uncertain, and indeed turbulent, years in the Castle's many layered history. 

All Rights Reserved

This eight part Blog series featuring the Purdie family and their ownership of the Castle follows a more or less consecutive timeline through the highs and lows for this period. Please click HERE to read the next instalment.

Corrections : This history has been compiled from a comprehensive range of secondary sources. Correction of any unintended errors and any relevant additions in relation to the time period in question are always welcome. Please email me (quoting your source) using the "Email Me" button in the right-hand menu bar. Thank you.

Bibliography & Sources :

- “King of the Castle” by Fleur Snedden 1997 (from my own collection)
-“Larnach and His Castle” by Alfred H. Reed, 1950 (from my own collection)
-“The Ordeal of William Larnach” by Hardwicke Knight, 1981 (from my own collection)
-"R.A. Lawson Victorian Architect of Dunedin" by Norman Ledgerwood (from my own collection)

-“The Garden at Larnach Castle” by Margaret Barker, 2006

- Larnach Castle Staff & Website https://www.larnachcastle.co.nz/

- McNab Room Collection & Librarian, Dunedin Public Library

- "Papers Past" [National Library of New Zealand / Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa]

- (Published) Recollections of Mrs Lorna Mortimer Hormann (née Duncan), 2010

- “The Press” Newspaper, Christchurch

- "The Otago Daily Times" 

- American Express “Insight” Magazine

- Miss MTL Watson / GenFram Image Archive (held by the writer)

- Te Papa Tongarewa / Museum of New Zealand

- National Library of New Zealand / Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa

- Hocken Collections / Te Uare Taoka o Hākena

- Trove Newspaper Archive / The National Library of Australia

- "Treasures of the Dunedin Public Art Gallery" by Peter Entwisle, 1990

- Lemuel Lyes Photograph Collection (used with kind permission)

- Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision Archives

- Images from my personal collection

Larnach Castle - The Purdie Years (1927 to 1940) - Part Two

 

Christmas at the Castle, 1927
[Credit : The Late Mrs Lorna Hormann / The Press]

This Continues my eight part Blog Series on the Purdie family ownership of Larnach Castle, having been compiled from a comprehensive range of secondary sources. Any assumptions are also clearly my own and while Castle management have kindly given me their blessing to publish this series it has not, however, been reviewed for any errors. To Read the First Instalment in this series please click HERE. 

Christmas at the Castle, 1927

The above delightful photo from the collection of Mrs Lorna Hormann (née Duncan) shows the first Christmas the new owners, Mr and Mrs Purdie, celebrated at the Castle and includes members of their extended joint families happily sitting round a decorated table on the north side of the upper glazed and enclosed Castle veranda. The new owners, Mr J. Jackson Purdie (known within the family as Jack) is at far left with his wife Mrs Laura M. Purdie 2^nd from right. Their niece Miss Lorna Duncan (later Mrs Hormann) is 5^th from right. The group will also most likely include Lorna’s parents and possibly both Mr & Mrs Purdie's elderly widowed mothers. 

This photo portrays a truly traditional Christmas dinner, all getting into the spirit of the day with coloured paper hats (which no doubt indicates a few Christmas crackers have been pulled) but wearing their best clothes, a white (most likely starched) damask linen tablecloth, good china, paper streamers strung across the ceiling, a Christmas tree with balloons and decorations (two with faces) at back, and did you note the small snowman sitting on the table in foreground? Who would not have wanted an invitation to spend Christmas Day here with the Purdie's in this magnificent venue amongst their relatives and which also marked better days ahead for the Castle’s fortunes. Overall, an absolutely delightful photo. A very similar photo taken at a subsequent Christmas dinner can be seen on a Castle information board and again, all wearing a most amazing array of quite elaborate papers hats. In fact, some look like they have been specially made or purchased for the occasion.

In a Sad Condition

By 1927 the Castle, as previously noted, was by now in a “sad condition” with quite some expense required in restoring the buildings and getting the grounds into order and back to something of the grandeur of former days. At purchase only four rooms were classed as "habitable" which was attributed to "the work of the Government Caretaker". During a personal tour in March 1937, one visitor writes of being told that; "... after its neglect, scores of birds' nests and loads of debris were shifted from the dining room alone, which was out of use even when the Government had charge of the castle." Many years later, Mrs Purdie related how, at purchase; "the place was neglected, the garden overgrown, trees encircling and brushing the walls". As to the condition of the building exterior, she also noted that; "The facings of Oamaru stone, cut and set in the wrong way, were in almost perfect condition, only one corner having to be replaced". 

I Could Not Have Been More Wrong

As to who actually drove the decision to purchase the Castle, I had surmised that it would have been Mrs Laura Purdie. With her great love of antiques and business flair I believed that her interests most aligned with what the Castle could offer. But it was in fact her Wood and Coal Merchant husband, Mr Jackson Purdie, who had desired the Castle right from the time he was a boy when living across the harbour at Port Chalmers and; "watching the setting sun light up the windows of the castle on the Peninsula [and] decided that one day he would live there." 

Her "Biggest Antique Purchase"

Mrs Purdie, being variously described as “an ardent collector of antiques” and a “Connoisseur of Antiques”, would, however, certainly have seen the many possibilities the Castle offered. This was both as a magnificent showcase to display antiques and additionally providing her with a suitable and ready-made venue (i.e, the ballroom) for the sale of antiques and for afternoon teas. 

Mrs Purdie appears to have made a rather tongue in cheek comment when she provided a short history of the Castle to a newspaper correspondent when passing through Sydney in March 1937; 

"It [i.e. The Castle] was in a state of ruin when Mrs Jackson Purdie, who is a collector of antiques, thought she would make her biggest antique purchase, and so bought it 10 years ago."

But years later she would set the record straight, confirming to a reporter that; "Her husband was responsible for their largest purchase, Larnach's castle". Both Mr and Mrs Purdie would however definitely appear to have both been equally committed to purchasing the Castle. 

Recouped the Purchase Price of the Castle

Mr Purdie certainly appears to have been an astute and succesful businessman. Mrs Barker (in her comprehensive publication, "The Garden at Larnach Castle"), relates the story of how, after purchase, and being a Wood and Coal Merchant, he felled a great number of trees on the property which then recouped the purchase price of the Castle. But Historian Harwicke Knight claims that Mr Purdie had found, upon purchase, that the property had an “over-abundance of trees”. He then set about removing a good number. I would place more weight on Mrs Barker’s version of events and that Mr Purdie just saw a profitable business opportunity. As I relate further on in this Blog, this mass tree felling may have come at an additional cost to Mr Purdie. And while he may certainly have recouped the cost of purchasing the Castle this would have come nowhere near the cost of restoration of the Castle and grounds. That he had the financial wherewithal to achieve this and to a high standard, was for the Castle’s future, fortuitous; also that he was able to financially weather the years of the Great Depression (1929 onwards).  

Larnach Castle as it appeared in the late 1920's.
A power pole is just visible so taken 1927 or later.
[Credit : National Library of New Zealand]

From Lamps & Gas Lighting to Electricity

In 1927, and along with substantial restoration and refurbishment work, the Purdie’s spent £1,500 alone (close to $185,000 in today’s values) wiring the Castle for electricity. In Larnach’s day, lighting the Castle had taken some effort, two maids reportedly being required to light, clean and refill a great number of oil lamps. But visitors to the Castle today will also note William Larnach’s “new” innovation, a now ruinous crenellated methane gas plant building at the rear of the property. This utilized human waste (you can still see the holes for the “long drops”) and horse manure from the nearby stables, being collected in a covered “cesspool” in order to produce methane gas for various fixed gas lamps throughout the Castle, a very 'modern' lighting system for the day. I do however note that "a boy” had been required to manually pump the gas up to the house. 

There is no mention of the gas generator prior to the time the Purdie’s took over the property and according to the current owners, all gas lamp fittings were removed in 1927 when the house was wired for electricity. Mrs Horman tells of one servant being required just to clean and re-fill the lamps before electricity was installed. While the overall restoration cost of the house, outbuildings and grounds by the Purdie’s is not recorded it was at least reliably reported in the day as being “tremendous”, and “a sum running into five figures” so clearly a substantial amount whereas the purchase cost had of course been a ‘mere’ £3,600.    

The Long-Lived "Moffat" Range

Included in the cost of installing electricity had been a “Moffat” split level oven and cook top. Incredibly, 40 years later, this range was still in use when the Barkers bought the Castle in 1967 and would continue in daily use “for years” thereafter. I wonder if it beat the 52 years of constant use by my own family’s large (and then still serviceable) “McClary” farmhouse range? Whiteware was made - and expected - to last back in those days. I note at least that the “electric lighting” had been “fully renewed and modernized” in the late 1940’s but even wiring of this period would have needed to be have been subsequently renewed.

The Purdie’s Great Hospitality

Always generous, welcoming, and hospitable hosts, Mr and Mrs Purdie are noted in June 1928 as having successfully entertained 70 guests who; “…spent a very enjoyable time wandering around the spacious rooms, [and] viewing the wonderful scenery”.  Guests were served afternoon tea in the "old dining hall" and “where a huge log fire crackled cheerily”, later being served “high tea” (i.e., a cooked meal). 

The newspaper social pages also make mention in September 1928 of Baptist church friends from London spending some time; “admiring the fine collection of antiques and china, while the grounds and surroundings were not forgotten”.  The Purdie’s great hospitality was noted, something which, along with Mrs Purdie’s passion for and love of antiques, would both become synonymous with their occupation of the Castle.

A Great Traveller

In early June 1928, and at the Otago Girls' High School, Mrs Purdie gave an "illustrated lecture on European countries through which she had travelled". As we shall read further on in this Blog series, Mrs Purdie had a great love of travel, especially to Europe, also keeping an eye out for antiques suitable for her collection.

Buying back Larnach’s Furnishings

Interestingly, during their tenure of the property, Mr Purdie spent; “large sums of money in buying back as much of the dispersed [i.e. Larnach’s] furnishings and carvings as he could trace in order to restore the Castle back to its former magnificence". But Mr Purdie not only 'bought' back former fittings but also 'hauled' them back, three men noted by Mrs Hormann; “struggling to carry a marble bath back to an upstairs bathroom. It had been found in a paddock, serving as a horse trough. No-one knew how it got there.”

A Huge Bonfire Marks the Advent of 1930

To signal the advent of 1930 a huge bonfire was set on the Castle front lawn with flames reaching up to 100 feet in height which could be seen from not only surrounding districts but also as far away as the City. Significantly, this year also marked the full re-opening of the Castle and grounds to the general public.

A Newspaper Advertisement from August 1930
A further charge applied for entry to the Castle

Two Shillings and Sixpence

With renovations having been completed in 1929, June 1930 would mark the beginning of the Castle’s period as a 'showcase' for Dunedin with Mrs and Mrs Purdie, and for a fee of two shillings and sixpence, opening the Castle and grounds to the public from 2pm to 6pm twice a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Included in a visit would be a free Devonshire afternoon tea (scones with jam and cream) in the spacious 90 foot long, 3,000 square foot ballroom which was largely converted into an Antiques Gallery. This useful space, being built by Larnach in 1887 both as a new billiard room and ballroom had been a (very) belated  21^st birthday present for his daughter Kate who unfortunately died in 1891. An extra fee would, however, be charged to view the Castle interior with its rooms filled with expensive antique furniture and china, and to climb the narrow spiral staircase to the top of the 70 foot tower to admire the same view that had inspired Larnach to build his home in this elevated position. However, being staunch Church members, absolutely no public admittance would ever, during their ownership, be allowed on Sundays.

At Last the Castle Comes Into View

A local reporter for the evening newspaper wrote enthusiastically of a visit to the Castle; 

“[the Castle] has been restored to its original beauty in a most marvellous way. Only a visit can give any idea of the magnitude of the [restoration] work accomplished by Mr and Mrs Purdie…

The approach from the main road is by a drive between avenues of old trees, and at last the castle comes into view, its entrance guarded by the beautifully carved lions, the eagles, and the griffons that have been known to old residents of Dunedin for sixty years... Inside the work of restoration has been carefully carried out, the artistic carving of ceilings and doors being now seen in perfection. The furnishing of the house is in keeping with its simple grandeur, rare pieces of Georgian and Victorian furniture, with cabinets of old china finding here their perfect setting." 

A published photo view of Mrs Purdie's Antiques Gallery
in the Castle Ballroom, taken 1930's
[Credit : "The Ordeal of William Larnach, 1981]

Mrs Purdie's Antiques Gallery

The Castle would now be regularly thrown open to a curious and interested public, including Mrs Purdie's very popular Antiques Gallery. Visitors could then, and no doubt inspired by what they had seen in the Castle, purchase items for themselves to take home or as gifts. I will be featuring an original photo view of the gallery in a future instalment, being amongst a number of photo views purchased by my Great Aunt during a visit at this time and which are now in my possession. The above newspaper correspondent additionally described this wonderful Gallery;

"Mrs Purdie has conceived the idea of turning the spacious ballroom into a gallery of antiques, a unique collection of furniture, china, silver, and bric-a-brac, from which articles may be purchased. Tea is to be served in summer in the conservatories opening off the gallery, and on cold days in the gallery itself beside blazing log fires.”

Already a well-known antiques collector and dealer, Mrs Purdie is noted as having made overseas buying trips as well as ordering in shipments of antiques from England for her new Gallery but will naturally have also looked out for items to decorate her own home. While she found that; "Furnishing the vast place was at once a challenge", it was also; "a delight to a zealous collector." 

Additionally, she proudly stated that she; "managed her buying on her own money [and] only once asked her husband for his assistance and that was to buy an Adam mahogany corner cabinet of 1770".  

Her last overseas trip before purchasing the Castle would appear to be 1925, travelling on her own over to England for an indeterminate period with Mr Purdie remaining in Dunedin. Eager to advance her knowledge of antiques, I note that on one trip she; "attended classes at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London".

Even by the early 1920's Mrs Purdie's love of and knowledge of antiques was so well known that she was asked by a couple of Dunedin notables (one being Mr David Theomin of Olveston House) to start the Dunedin Public Art Gallery Decorative Arts Collection, remaining "actively engaged" in this project until 1980. Mrs Purdie would also act as the Art Gallery's Agent for purchases overseas, a task I note she undertook in 1950. 

Lorna Hormann, the afore-mentioned niece of the Purdie’s, and who often stayed at the Castle, recalled helping out with the Devonshire teas served in the Ballroom, which are in fact still served here today. A staff of five were required to run the Castle while; “big American cars” were used by the Purdie’s to negotiate the steep climb from Dunedin up Highcliff Road to the Castle, being built 1,000 feet above sea level.

Such was the popularity of a visit to the Castle with residents and visitors alike that the Peninsula Motor Service Ltd. ran regular Saturday bus excursions, departing Queens Gardens at 2pm and returning to Dunedin at 5pm, the bus fare being the same as the basic Castle admission, i.e, two shillings and sixpence.

The Castle Staff

Amongst their staff of five employees, the Purdie’s, and then being a family of three adults, would be assisted from (at least) 1929 by a Housekeeper, from 1930 by a “Cook-General” at a wage of 30 shillings a week, and I also note a Head Gardener’s position being advertised in August 1930. I do not know the number of gardening staff he would have supervised. A knowledge of hothouses, nursery, flowers, vegetables, and designing and laying out gardens was essential but the (unspecified) remuneration would be “excellent”. The successful applicant will have been Mr Ira Vincent Thornicroft (being mentioned by Mrs Barker), laying out all the Castle gardens during the 1930’s.

One particular job for the Maid was to bring breakfast on a tray to their niece, Lorna Hormann’s bedroom when she was staying at the Castle, a room having been permanently set aside for her use and which included a four poster bed. But despite being 'waited on' in such a manner, Lorna would still happily assist the household staff to dust the; “...gorgeous bannisters, wood panelling, and furniture”.   

But a staff of five was a far cry from Larnach’s day when around twenty staff were employed just within the Castle with a reported total staff of 46 employed between the house and attending to the extensive grounds. As to the fore-mentioned “family of three adults”, this is known to originally be four, with both Mr and Mrs Purdie’s widowed mothers initially residing with them, being Mrs Catherine Purdie (died Jan 1928) and Mrs Mary Duncan (died July 1949). Both these women may appear in the photo at the top of this page.

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This eight part Blog series featuring the Purdie family and their ownership of the Castle follows a more or less consecutive timeline through the highs and lows for this period. Please click HERE to read the next instalment.

Corrections : Correction of any unintended errors and any relevant additions in relation to the time period in question are always welcome. Please email me (quoting your source) using the "Email Me" button in the right-hand menu bar. Thank you.

Bibliography & Sources :

- “King of the Castle” by Fleur Snedden 1997 (from my own collection)
-“Larnach and His Castle” by Alfred H. Reed, 1950 (from my own collection)
-“The Ordeal of William Larnach” by Hardwicke Knight, 1981 (from my own collection)
-"R.A. Lawson Victorian Architect of Dunedin" by Norman Ledgerwood (from my own collection)

-“The Garden at Larnach Castle” by Margaret Barker, 2006

- Larnach Castle Management https://www.larnachcastle.co.nz/

- McNab Room Collection & Librarian, Dunedin Public Library

- "Papers Past" [National Library of New Zealand / Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa]

- (Published) Recollections of Mrs Lorna Mortimer Hormann (née Duncan), 2010

- “The Press” Newspaper, Christchurch

- "The Otago Daily Times" 

- American Express “Insight” Magazine

- Miss MTL Watson / GenFram Image Archive (held by the writer)

- Te Papa Tongarewa / Museum of New Zealand

- National Library of New Zealand / Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa

- Hocken Collections / Te Uare Taoka o Hākena

- Trove Newspaper Archive / The National Library of Australia

- "Treasures of the Dunedin Public Art Gallery" by Peter Entwisle, 1990

- Lemuel Lyes Photograph Collection (used with kind permission)

- Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision Archives

- Images from my personal collection

A New Era of Train Travel - The 1970 New Zealand Railways “Crown Lynn” Dinnerware Set

The Full "Crown Lynn" Designed Dinnerware Set
 Introduced by New Zealand Railways From Dec 1970

My recent Blog from March 2024 featured the brilliantly designed and now highly collectible Air New Zealand “Crown Lynn” dinnerware set introduced in 1965. The New Zealand Government Railways (N.Z.R.) would follow suit five years later, introducing their own practical and distinctive range of New Zealand designed dinnerware for on board use and which is the subject of this Blog.

A comparison between the old and new styles of
New Zealand Railways Cups and saucers

I have also previously featured the solid and variously branded New Zealand Railways vitrified crockery supplied by a number of English and later New Zealand manufacturers. This varied range of chinaware had been in use for over half a century from the time NZR had taken over the then privately owned Railways Refreshment Rooms in 1917. This heavy crockery had been designed to handle rough everyday usage, including cups and saucers being taken on board trains at short Refreshment Room stops where they would, or could, be knocked about and easily suffer damage. Using standard china would have led to an unacceptable level of breakages. While some passengers were, after use, known to hurl cups and saucers out of carriage windows, excavations at Refreshment Room dump sites would apparently confirm that “in house” breakages of this heavy vitrified china were however still common.

A Colourized view of the "Southerner" Express
Buffet Car on a first trial run, late 1970
[Credit : Archives NZ Railways Collection]

But the introduction from late 1970 by New Zealand Railways of a dedicated "Buffet Car" on their newly branded express passenger services meant that these trains would no longer need to stop at the old Refreshment Rooms. This created the perfect opportunity to introduce a new style of practical dinnerware, including cutlery, for on board use and which would additionally project an image of modernity to the travelling public. In fact the same china railway cups and saucers stamped with an "NZR and crown" in blue had been in use since as long ago as 1956 and indeed, exactly the same style from 1948 but back then the logo was in black.

As with their Air New Zealand dinnerware commission, “Crown Lynn” designed a striking set of modern and relatively lightweight dinnerware which also reflected the limited space available on packed serving counters and at passenger’s fold out seat tables. The design in fact drew heavily on that produced for airline usage and the similarities in design is certainly no accident.

The new NZR "Crown Lynn" designed Dinner, Side,
 and Sweet / Salad / Soup Dishes

 

The full set comprised of a cup on a square saucer, an oblong side plate, a larger oblong dinner plate, a square sweet / salad / soup dish, and a small milk jug. The plates were not overly large but included high lips to both enable food to be contained within the plate as well as liquid spills for saucers, a very important consideration on a rocking and rolling refreshment carriage with sudden jolts being a not uncommon occurrence (I speak here from some experience). The cups are the same modern design as that used for the Air New Zealand set with handles being cleverly designed for ease of stacking, the limitations of storage space and the need to have everything within easy reach for staff working in crampt conditions in the new Buffet Cars being taken into consideration. While still made of vitrified china, that is where any similarity to the solid, heavy old Railways china ends.

Examples of the new NZR branded
stainles steel cutlery

Cutlery consisted of a stainless steel knife, fork, dessert spoon and teaspoon, all stamped with the new NZR logo. On board food and drink menus would also be a new feature.

Branding was an equally important consideration and this New Zealand designed and manufactured crockery would boldly feature the new NZR logo strikingly printed in white around the edges or bases of various pieces and on an attractive maroon base or background. Maroon was not a colour used on the exterior branding for the new expresses. Perhaps using those colours on railways china was thought to too closely resemble the Air New Zealand Teal dinnerware. But maroon was a bold choice and certainly highlights the white NZR logo.

 

The curious "light blue logo" china
[Source : NZ Pottery Net]

But to complicate matters, there are extant examples of the square railway saucers with the logo printed in a light blue on a white background. Presumably there were also cups with this same colouring but I have not seen any nor on plates. The best guess on a “Crown Lynn” forum group is that these were used on the luxury “Silver Star” express although another contributor stated that these were used on the "Southerner" Express. Opinions remain divided and without any defitive proof I cannot accept either statement as being correct. At this late stage, in fact almost half a century, perhaps only "Crown Lynn" or N.Z.R. archival records will definitively answer this question. Nonetheless, these "blue" examples are obviously not common and there may only have been one production run in this colouring before the colour and design were standardized. I for one am glad that all the Railways dinnerware was not produced in this colour, it just lacks a certain boldness. But more of this standardization process later.

 

An Original "Crown Lynn" Drawing for the
New Zealand Railways Dinner Plate
[Source : NZ Pottery Net]

The new white on maroon dinnerware set, while designed to be very practical in use, also projected a modern image befitting the newly fitted out and re-branded New Zealand Railways express passenger services. This included the “Southerner” Express between Christchurch and Invercargill (introduced Dec 1970), the “Silver Fern” daylight railcar between Auckland and Wellington (Dec 1972), the “Northerner” overnight Express between Auckland and Wellington (Nov 1975), the “Endeavour” express between Wellington and Napier (Nov 1972), and the luxury overnight “Silver Star” express between Auckland and Wellington (Sept 1971).

 

Examples of the "Crown Lynn" Dinnerware
for General New Zealand Railways use 

The old Refreshment Rooms would continue with the traditional heavy old china to service railcar passengers and at the railway termini. The dates on original pattern solid railway saucers with the old style blue NZR and crown logo with production dates up to 1975 confirms this. But a more standardized and (in my opinion) rather uninspired and lacklustre style of everyday vitrified dinnerware would be manufactured from 1974 (this is the first example I hold) to 1984 for Station Restaurant use which featured a plain single black NZR logo on a white base. At least the logo was of the new design but there’s appears to have been no real effort here to create anything distinctive, it was purely standard pattern "Crown Lynn" commercial use vitrified chinaware. I am assuming that this standard china would also additionally be used “in house”, thus replacing the long-lived orange NZR logo china, the most recent example I have seen being dated 1971.

 

The new maroon logo on white "Crown Lynn"
Dinnerware introduced circa mid to late 1970's

Having previously mentioned the curious blue logo on white china saucer above, another alteration would be made but prompted solely by financial considerations. After the initial production run, and, I assume at some time in the mid to late 1970’s, the maroon colouring on the cups and plate bases would be discontinued and replaced with the NZR logo now in maroon on a plain white background. The saucer was the only part of the set never to have a design change, having always featured the NZR logo in maroon on a white base. The reason for this standardization was simply that having a maroon base involved an extra production process and the discontinuation of the coloured base and maroon coloured cup was purely a cost-cutting measure. While the design would stay the same all pieces bar one would now have the maroon logo on a white background.

The new white on maroon "Crown Lynn" Cup & Milk Jug

The one exclusion would be the small and rather cute maroon milk jug which must have been initially produced in sufficient quantity to not require a new manufacturing run. But I also would not discount the possibility that more practical stainless steel milk jugs were used at a later date. The above 1971 photo of the “Southerner” refreshment carriage shows stainless steel milk jugs in use but if this was always the case on this particular passenger service I do not personally recall. If at any point more relevant information comes to light I shall update this Blog.

 

An On-Board "Southerner" Menu Card
[Source : Southerner Express FB Group]

With the closure of the West Auckland based “Crown Lynn” factory in 1989 and the demise of the original long distance passenger services by the 1990’s and early 2000’s due to falling patronage and rising costs, usage of this dinnerware was then discontinued. Pieces still occasionally come up for sale, especially the later maroon on white versions but the original early 1970’s white logo on maroon background examples are naturally less common as these had the longest use. The rarest items today appear to be the white logo on maroon cup and similarly the small maroon milk jug, both commanding high prices for any collector eager to complete the full set.

Finally, I would stress that my intention here is to give an overview of this dinnerware and its history rather than a definitive and fully verified account. The full history of New Zealand refreshment room china from its initial use in privately owned railway establishments to the post 1917 Government owned Railway Refreshment Rooms and later onboard use is a truly fascinating subject. I am aware that further research work on the full history of New Zealand Railways chinaware is ongoing and which will build on the excellent research work already undertaken by the late Christine Johnson and of Michael O’Leary in the informative and well-illustrated booklet, “Railway Refresh in New Zealand” published by the Paekakariki Station Museum in 2020.

If you would like to make any comment regarding this Blog, please either leave a comment below or email me by clicking on the "Email Me" box in the right hand Menu Bar. Thank you. 

All Rights Reserved

Bibliography & Sources :

- Unless otherwise stated, all items are from my own personal collection

- "Railway Refresh in New Zealand" by Christine Johnson & Michael O'Leary, 2020

- New Zealand Pottery Net

- NZ History Net