Kerikeri Mission Station
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| The Mission House (aka Kemp House) in Kerikeri |
Oldest Building
The Church Missionary Society's Kerikeri Mission Station has the oldest European building in New Zealand. The Mission House (aka Kemp House) in Northland in the North Island dates from 1822.
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| The Old Stone Store (left) and The Mission House (right) on the banks of the Kerikeri River |
History
The two-storey, weatherboard Georgian wooden house was originally built for the missionary John Butler and his family. In 1832 James Kemp extended the building and the house was kept within the Kemp family until 1974.
It was then restored and furnished as it once looked in the mid-19th century by New Zealand Historic Places Trust (now Heritage New Zealand) and opened to the public (entrance is by guided tour only).
The gardens which have been in continuous cultivation for over 200 years are New Zealand's oldest European garden.
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| The Old Stone Store dates from 1836 |
Old Stone Store
The Old Stone Store on the property is the oldest stone building in New Zealand. It dates from 1836 and was used to sell produce from local farms and other goods. Later the building was used as a library and a school.
The ground floor is now a store once more selling items that were on sale back at the time of its construction. These include blankets, pots, preserves, and tea alongside contemporary New Zealand arts and crafts.
The upper floors are a museum dedicated to early Māori and European contact as well as the historical importance of the Kerikeri Basin. A hand-operated flour mill on display is thought to be the oldest piece of machinery in New Zealand.
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| Kemp House sign |
Access - Getting There
246 Kerikeri Road
Kerikeri Basin
0230
Tel: +64 9 407 9236
Hours: daily, November to April, closed on Christmas Day; 10 am - 5 pm; daily, May to October 10 am - 4 pm. There are guided tours 3 or 4 times a day.
Honey House Cafe is on the banks of the Kerikeri River close to the historic buildings.
Kerikeri is 25 km north of Paihia. InterCity/Northliner buses leave from Cobham Road in Kerikeri for Paihia (30 minutes), Kaitaia (90 minutes) and Auckland (5 hours).
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| The gardens have been in use for over two centuries |
Nearby
A short walk from the mission is Kororipo Pā, a Māori settlement once home to Hongi Hika and the Ngāpuhi iwi (tribe), who protected the missionaries.
Rewa's Village is a full-scale replica of a Māori fishing village with a garden of native plants.
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| Charlotte and James Kemp |
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