By BERNARD ORSMAN
The Auckland City Council should buy the stately Edwardian home under threat in Parnell and turn it into a local museum, says historian Rendell McIntosh.
The two-storey house, built by the Paykel family in 1909-1910, would make a perfect museum to record the history of New Zealand's oldest suburb,
he said.
Developers' reserves contributions could be used to buy the $6 million property, said Mr McIntosh.
The council is likely to overturn a decision today to stop the home being demolished or removed to make way for 13 apartments.
This follows an unprecedented decision by the city development committee last Friday to slap a heritage order on 42 St Stephens Rd, which overruled a demolition consent given in March to developer SMG Group, which plans to build upmarket apartments on the site and a neighbouring property.
Auckland Mayor John Banks has indicated that the council will withdraw the heritage order, saying he would not support pulling the rug on the developer at the 11th hour.
Mr McIntosh said the council should consider buying the house and filling it with memorabilia of what had been lost in Parnell, such as a chandelier hanging in the Ngati Whatua room at the Auckland Town Hall. This came from John Logan Campbell's house, Kilbryde, at the Rose Gardens, which the council demolished in 1924.
"It is such a wonderful entrance to Parnell on the corner of St Stephens Ave and Gladstone Rd, and preferable to a canyon of concrete buildings in the modern style."
Mr McIntosh said another option was to buy the house and sell it to someone to live in, such as Hulme Cottage in Parnell Rd, built in 1843 of bluestone and which served temporarily as Government House.
The St Stephens Ave house was built by Max Paykel, who fled Russia about 1890 and was related to Fisher & Paykel co-founder Maurice Paykel.
The architect was John Currie, who also designed the Auckland University registry building, the Nathan Building in the Britomart precinct and the Ponsonby Fire Station.
Meanwhile, Historic Places Trust Auckland co-ordinator David Reynolds has backed another recommendation from the development committee to boost the resources of the council's heritage division for a full inventory of historic buildings.
He said the last review of heritage buildings had missed properties such as 42 St Stephens Ave and the central-city Fitzroy Hotel.
