“Red Brick Villa” they called it. The Semadeni Residence stands before us. This Edwardian villa whispers tales of a family and a community. It is a story etched in brick and time.
The Semadeni Residence is the oldest building still standing in Te Atatu Peninsula. This single-story Edwardian bay villa is more than just a house. It is a landmark of local history.
Let’s step back to the early 1900s. Donald McLeod began building this villa around 1907. He sold the incomplete property to Edward Semadeni in 1910. McLeod finished the house for Semadeni in 1911. The bricks came from local brickworks near the Whau River.
Edward Semadeni’s parents came from Switzerland. He was a devout Methodist. Edward served as superintendent of the local Methodist Sunday school until he died in 1931. Imagine Edward here with his family.
The house has timber double-hung sash windows. The doors are timber with decorative panels. The roof is corrugated iron and mostly pyramidal. A brick lean-to was added to the eastern side later. Two brick chimneys rise. One is in the lean-to. Kauri flooring graces the house. Black pine floors the lean-to.
In 1933, Frederick Smith bought the property. Smith owned the neighboring lot. He farmed dairy cattle here. During World War II, gun pits were built on the land for anti-air defense. A wireless receiving station was installed in 1946. The New Zealand Broadcasting Service used it until 1971.
The Auckland Harbour Board bought the land in 1951. They planned a new deep-water port. But the port was never built. The Harbour Board leased the land to farmers until 1989. Then, the land went to the Waitakere City Council.
In 1999, the Semadeni Residence’s lot merged with another to form Harbourview–Orangihina reserve. There was a plan to upgrade the villa into an environmental education center in 2005. Instead, the council leased the property to residential tenants in 2009. This decision sparked community complaints. Ratepayer funds paid for renovations.
A High Court case in 2005 argued the land should return to previous owners. The deep-water port plan never happened. The case failed. But development of the reserve was delayed until 2016.
The council repaired the building in 2009 and 2010. The cost was $100,000. After that, it was again leased to tenants. The Semadeni Residence stands as a testament to simpler times. It reminds us of the Semadeni family. They sought a rural life here in Te Atatu. Their legacy remains within these brick walls.