Step into the past. Stand before Acacia Cottage. This unassuming building holds secrets. It’s Auckland’s oldest surviving residential building.
Acacia Cottage wasn’t always here in Cornwall Park. It began its life in 1841. It stood on Shortland Street in Auckland’s CBD. John Logan Campbell and William Brown lived there. They were businessmen. Jessie Brown William’s wife also lived in the cottage.
The cottage was more than just a home. It was a testament to early Auckland. It was built from kauri timbers. Campbell bought these timbers from Mr W Spickman in Whangaroa. It cost him 75 pounds. The cottage’s weatherboard exterior was reportedly Auckland’s first. Imagine the construction. It was a simple four-room Georgian design. Later additions included a fifth room. There was also an outhouse and verandah.
Life in the cottage wasn’t always easy. The original design had no fireplace. Keeping warm meant using hot embers from an outside fire. Campbell later added a brick chimney. He used his carpentry skills. He’d learned this trade in Scotland.
Time marched on. The cottage moved. In 1920 a tractor carried it to Cornwall Park. Newspapers chronicled this journey. It was quite a sight. The move wasn’t smooth. The cottage had two locations within the park before settling in its final place in 1956. Parts of the verandah and outhouse were lost during these moves.
Today Acacia Cottage stands proudly. It’s a reminder of Auckland’s beginnings. It’s meticulously furnished. It offers a glimpse into the past. Step inside. Discover the lives lived within these walls. Feel the history. See the simple elegance. It’s a privilege to be here. The cottage lives on as a vital part of Auckland’s heritage.