Homebush registered as historic

The distinctive Masterton homestead of Homebush has been registered Category II by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust Board.
Once the home of William Lucena, a lawyer from London and later a run-holder in Featherston, the property situated east of Masterton has a long history, New Zealand Historic Places Trust co-ordinator David Watt said.
In 1891, Lucena commissioned noted architect Charles Tilleard Natusch (1859-1951) to design a house for the property.
Natusch incorporated an original cottage on the property into his design and construction on the house started in October 1891. The principal contractor was C.E. Daniell and the work was completed in January 1892, Mr Watt said.
He said Lucena died almost immediately after moving into the house with his wife and children. Officially recorded as death by natural causes, his demise sparked controversy in the district.
There were local rumours that Lucena's wife had poisoned him. His body was later exhumed from his plot at Masterton Cemetery and sent to England for analysis, he said.
The body was never returned to the grave and may never have been returned to New Zealand, he said.
Lucena's widow, Etty, later used the house as a school for girls, but it is not known whether she lived there for any length of time.
Etty sold the property to James Cruickshank in 1903, which by then included 7ha of land, and a succession of owners followed.
In 1942, the earthquake that hit Wellington and Wairarapa damaged the house, Mr Watt said, and a chimney on the south elevation was removed.
In 1966, the property was bought by real estate agent Anthony Bird and his wife Jean. They kept the property for 11 years but did not live in it, he said.
In the late 1970s the land was subdivided and only a small portion of less than a third of a hectare and the house was kept.
Mr Watt said television show host Paul Henry and his wife Rachael also owned the property.
The couple built home-stay units to the rear of the house and continued refurbishment carried out by other owners of the property, including the repair and maintenance of a room previously damaged by fire.
The Henry family moved to Auckland in 2000 and the present owners, Chris and Marianne Hackney, have since used the property as a private home, restaurant and conference centre, with the main house retaining much of its original fabric, he said.
The New Zealand Historic Places Trust Wairarapa branch committee held its annual meeting at the Wairarapa Archive on Sunday with archivist Gareth Winter the guest speaker. The group then went to Homebush to celebrate the registration of the homestead and to present a trust plaque to the owners, Mr Watt said.