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| Larnach Castle as it appeared in an Edwardian era tinted postcard printed in Saxony, Germany, circa 1910 (From my own collection) |
The Year
is 1927
“It was a wreck. It had been neglected and vandalized. Thieves had stripped valuable material from it. Rain poured in through holes in the roof. Trees grew out the windows. It was derelict".
These
are the recollections of the late Mrs Lorna Hormann (died 2012, aged 101 years),
whose Aunt and Uncle, Mr & Mrs Jackson Purdie, would be the successful (or would one say foolhardy?)
purchasers of Larnach Castle located near Dunedin on the South Island of New Zealand. The Government had now finally sold their 'White Elephant', the long vacant, four-storied, 34 roomed, 43,200 square
foot Scottish Baronial styled Gothic Revival ‘Castle’, complete with
70-foot crenelated tower, built 1,000ft above sea level high up on the oft
mist shrouded Otago Peninsula hills. The Castle by now also appears
to have been shorn of a significant architectural element shown in the above
Edwardian era tinted postcard view. But more of this later. So,
what had brought about such a sorry state of affairs for this once grand and
opulent Gentleman’s residence?
A
Number of Highs and Lows
In this eight part Blog series,
I shall attempt to illustrate something of the day-to-day life of Larnach
Castle, including a number of highs and lows, during the period of Purdie
family ownership when they attempted to rehabilitate the Castle back to
something of its former glory. Illustrating this story are a number of period
photo views and modern views when these are relevant to the narrative. But while the Castle enjoyed a significant
revival in fortune of which Businessman and later Parliamentarian the Hon. William James Mudie Larnach, whose vision had brought
this grand residence to reality would surely have approved, it would certainly
not all be plain sailing. I suspect the current Trustees may also sympathize with
this statement. It should be noted here that while Mr and Mrs Barker purchased the Castle in 1967, it is now administered by a Trust.
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| Larnach's Crest with "The Camp" and Wild Cats Rampant permanently set in Encaustic Tiling in the foyer |
After Larnach’s untimely death in 1898, the Castle would be put up for sale by auction in April 1900. But the reserve of £10,000 was not met with the property then being passed in. In October 1901, and after having briefly served as a holiday retreat for a community of Dunedin Nuns, ownership would pass from the Estate Trustees to Larnach’s son Donald who, within the space of a year and through financial necessity, disposed of the stock, plant, carriages, and most of the Castle furniture. The sale of Larnach’s substantial library and which attracted keen buyers, would be described as, “probably the largest of its kind ever held in the colony”.
Even now, the ‘Witness’ newspaper described the Castle interior as; “almost wrecked by the removal of everything, such as mantlepieces, grates, and carved woodwork etc…. The once beautiful residence and grounds of the late Hon. Mr. Larnach will soon be an artistic ruin, the abode probably of moreporks [owls] and ghosts”. (actually, more of 'supposed' Castle ghosts later).
An
Asylum for Criminal Lunatics
A major change in ownership would come
about in January 1906 when Donald Guise Larnach sold the Castle and grounds to the
New Zealand Government for £3,000 ($624,000 in today’s values) to be used as a
“Mental Hospital” or as the newspapers of the day termed it; “an asylum for
criminal lunatics”.
After vehement protests from local resident’s, usage was amended to; “borderline cases not entirely suitable for either hospital or mental asylum”. While a fifteen-foot fence was to be erected around the property not only “for the safe-keeping of the patients” but also to attempt to allay the fears of the local residents, I am now very reliably infomed that this was in fact never built. And thus the Castle served this purpose, housing between 60 to 70 men until the First World War period when the inmates, being mainly elderly patients, were transferred to the rambling Seacliff Mental Hospital (a design of the above-mentioned Architect, Robert Arthur Lawson).
Biographer Hardwick Knight averred that “Larnach
took great joy from his extravagant home, although his wives probably saw it as
more like a prison.” The Castle ‘inmates’ would certainly have viewed it as such had the suggested high perimeter fence been built. It would be interesting to know more about day to day life at the Castle during this period in its history but that's another story.
Military Convalescent Use – then Abandonment
At least until 1918 the Castle also housed shell shocked soldiers from World War One, military convalescent use having in fact first being suggested as early as December 1915. But after 1918, and with no longer having any relevant use or purpose, the now empty and forlorn Castle entered a sad, slow, downward spiral with an increasingly uncertain future. The "Medical Superintendent" at Seacliff appears to have retained oversight of the Castle, including access, right up to the time it was finally sold.
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| Larnach Castle Advertised For Sale, April 1925 [Credit "Papers Past"] |
Vandalism and Theft
Mrs Margaret Barker, in her comprehensive 2006 publication, "The Gardens of Larnach Castle", notes that a “Mr Nyhon”, and who lived at the Home Farm on Camp Road a distance below the Castle, had been appointed as “Occasional Caretaker”. But now being unoccupied, only occasionally let for events, and without someone being permanently onsite, the abandoned Castle now “suffered much from theft and vandalism”.
No Buyers
After having somewhat forgotten about their 'white elephant' the Government finally put the Castle and grounds up for auction in April 1925 but no buyers were forthcoming. The Medical Superintendent, however, still allowed public access to the Castle and grounds after this date.
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| A reasonably clear circa 1910 photo of Larnach Castle showing the ornamental roof balustrade features. [Credit : Te Papa Tongarewa] |
Shorn
it’s Decorative Iron Roof Balustrade
By this date the Castle appears to have been shorn of its distinctive decorative ironwork roof balustrade with small finials above the (originally open-air) verandas. The balustrades originally extended around one foot above the existing ironwork over the windows with small approximately four foot high square shaped ironwork ‘towers’ on all four corners surmounted by flagpoles which were later replaced with round pointed finials. Quite why these ‘towers’ and the balustrade itself were removed when the ironwork over the windows remained I do not know although parts of the latter are in fact structural elements supporting the veranda. I can only surmise that, in Government ownership, the cost of maintaining the no doubt now rusty balustrade was considered excessive and unnecessary. And had any part fallen it could be deadly (my own family home had this issue with iron finials, hence their complete removal for safety reasons). But you can still see two of the round finials that once sat atop the corner ‘towers’, one over the Wishing Well in the peaceful and secluded back garden and one (now painted gold) sitting atop the garden cupola. I was surprised to find that the finial over the Wishing Well was in fact metal plate and I assume the one over the cupola is likewise metal rather than wood. If they are not the originals they are certainly perfect copies in all respects.
The Government Finally Rid Themselves
of Their ‘White Elephant’
The Dunedin City Council are reported by Historian A.H. Reed, to have considered purchasing the 35 acre estate “as a recreation area” but in May 1927 decided to proceed no further. The Government now firmly resolved once and for all to rid themselves of this unwanted and deteriorating edifice. On the 19th August 1927, the Public Works Department, and on behalf of the New Zealand Government, again put the Castle and grounds up for public auction.
Any purchaser would need to have not just
vision in what the Castle could (again) become, but also deep pockets to fund
overdue restoration of the building and grounds as well as ongoing maintenance
costs. This needs to be put in the context of the time, and while the Great
Depression only commenced in 1929, in hindsight the chances of a permanent
change in fortune were probably not that great.
The auction took place in Dunedin on Friday the 19th August 1927. Newspaper reports the reserve to have been set at a curiously uneven £2,912 10s ($357,600.00 in today's values). But again, as in 1925, and despite "a fair attendance", no bids were forthcoming and the property was passed in.
But Just a Week Later...
But for a reason that currently eludes me, the property was yet again put up for auction on Monday the 29th August 1927;
"Larnach's Castle property was offered at public auction at Dunedin on Monday by the Lands Department, on behalf of the [Ministry of] Works Department. The upset price was the same as that asked at the former auction—£2912 10s. From this amount the bids rose by £25, then dropped to £5 and £1 bids, but towards the close, rose again to £l0 offers. The bidding, though brisk, was confined to three persons. The property eventually fell to Mr J. Jackson Purdie's bid of £3600 [$441,700 in today’s values]".That Mr Purdie could have obtained the property just ten days earlier and saved himself the tidy sum of just under £700 is indeed curious as is the fact that the property was again offered up for sale so quickly after the first auction. While the Government may have realized there was in fact some serious interest in negotiating a post-auction sale the reserve for the second auction was set at the same amount as the week before so they were certainly not budging an inch. Historian Hardwicke Knight states that Mr Purdie obtained the property by "private treaty with the Government" but this is not correct, it was bought at auction.
The only rational explanation I could put on this curious situation is that Mr Purdie, along with the other two bidders, had imagined the Castle would be sold at a price well over the reserve so were not at the first auction or at least did not have their finances in order. They now saw their opportunity, and possibly like Mr Purdie, made a post-auction offer as, if sold close to the reserve price, it might actually be within their grasp. The Ministry of Works may then, due to this sudden late interest, have decided to hold another auction in order to more easily facilitate a sale between the interested parties. And I wonder who the other two unsuccesful - but keen - cashed up bidders were?
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| John Jackson Purdie, Taken 25 Dec 1927 [Credit : Mrs L. Hormann] |
A £125,000 Castle for £3,600
The successful purchasers, and someone with sufficiently deep pockets and vision, would be Dunedin Wood and Coal Merchant Mr John Jackson Purdie (b.1883) and his wife, Mrs Laura Mortimer Purdie née Duncan (b.1887). The purchase price of £3,600 ($441,700 in today’s values) was a far cry from the purported £100,000 construction cost and £25,000 on “decorative embellishments and the grounds” that Larnach had originally expended on the property. But the Government would have been glad to finally rid themselves of what had become nothing more than a crumbling liability with no purpose.This eight part Blog series follows the Purdie family and their ownership of the Castle following a more or less consecutive timeline through the highs and lows for this period. Please click HERE to view the next instalment.
Corrections : This history has been compiled from a comprehensive range of secondary sources. I have, however, noted the occasional small discrepancy. 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)
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