Illuminating History: A remarkable 1894 John Henry Menzies renovation project

This incredibly special property on a farm on Banks Peninsula, Rehutai, holds within its walls a spectacular piece of Aotearoa, New Zealand history.  The main farmhouse had as its central core a remarkable hallway that was built by John Henry Menzies in 1894. Listed as a Category One site in the early 2000’s by Heritage NZ, the property lay dormant for almost 40 years in a state of disrepair, having also sustained damage in the devasting 2011 Christchurch earthquake.  The current owner began reconstruction works in 2020, after the building was declared by the builder to be at risk of collapsing and losing this precious piece of history. The owner instructed the building crew to save “every conceivable carved or painted piece you can lay your hands on”.

The period style red exterior steps into the stunning cultural vibrancy of the interior of the new purpose-built facility designed by architect Noel Strez to accommodate architectural elements from Rehutai. The hallway, which was reconstructed exactly as it was in the original house, is located in the central core of the “Red Shed”, with a full wrap around passage around the hallway.

The lighting design and installation was executed by Arnold Jensen Electrical. The Switch Lighting Mini-Lightz product in a black trim was specified with a warm 2700K colour temperature, to ensure discreet lighting that would reflect the original light levels in the house as it would have been in the 1800’s. The interior lighting washes a warm illumination up the alternating solid vertical timber panels, dramatizing areas of shadow and light throughout the hall, which was reconstructed exactly as it was in the original house. The Mini-Lightz are also used to illuminate the four corners of the hallway pointing up to the ceiling. And the Māori sculpture at the end of the hall stands pride of place, bathed in warm illumination.  

This project was a collaborative vision between the owner, Paddy Cotter, Bushnell Builders, Arnold Jensen Electrical, Noel Strez Architects, and Grant Wylie.

John Henry Menzies was born in England and arrived in New Zealand in 1860 aged 21. Menzies was a New Zealand farmer, woodcarver, cabinet maker, published writer and artist.  His interest in reproducing toi whakairo, Māori carving, characterised much of his work, and he was committed to completing the Māori wood carving himself.Menzies had a deep respect for local Māori culture and he was known to have helped perpetuate toi whakairo Māori carvings by incorporating Māori figures, patterns and designs into exclusive furniture pieces and buildings.  It’s important to note that Menzies took considerable creative licence with his work, copying patterns but also embellishing them, or using patterns usually rendered in paint and carving them into wood.