Heritage mansion sells to locals for $3.395m after ‘whole town’ went through

Everybody loves a heritage homestead, and in Warkworth, it seems like much of the town even has a story to tell about The Riverina.

The magnificent, derelict Italianate villa in Wilson Rd, which attracted more than 300 people through the single open home, has been sold to a locally based couple who love heritage houses and have experience in subdivisions.

The couple paid $3.395m for the 5.8ha property and plan to renovate the concrete house and undertake a high-end subdivision on the non-heritage areas. They say they will be offering “the most beautiful, north-facing lifestyle sites with heritage trees”. The Riverina homestead will add to the appeal of these sites.

The mansion was built in 1901 by industrialist Nathaniel Wilson on his retirement and was last sold 56 years ago to Ronald and Beverly Simmons - they had to deal with rubbish throughout the house and a dead sheep in the front room when they bought it. In recent years, it has been empty and boarded up.

Dianna Coman of Bayleys Warkworth says the listing was probably the highlight of her career to date. Locals were queueing for the gate to open on the single open day she held.

“It felt like the whole town came for a look. I had to close the open homes after that as it would have been unmanageable. We struck perfect weather that day, and provided refreshments. Everybody stood around chatting - it was wonderful. You could imagine garden parties here.

“There isn’t another property like it in Warkworth. Everybody knows it, and lots of people wanted to share stuff and there were lots of stories. I have been given family trees, birth certificates and death certificates.

Coman says a neighbouring 2.9ha piece of land listed at the same time has not sold yet: “We have had multiple offers, but they just haven’t been at the right level.”

The Riverina has a Category 2 listing with Heritage New Zealand, which has a photo of the old ruins of Wilson’s Hydraulic Lime and Cement Works in Warkworth.

The house was designed by architect Robert Wladislas de Montalk, who is known to have had an interest in the use of concrete as a construction material.

Auckland Council records note the house was built from fired clay sourced from a paddock on the property. This was combined with lime for a less conventional concrete mix. The clay was fired in a hot pit of burning pūriri logs.

The exterior walls are 230mm thick, and rendered in an ashlar-patterned cement.

The long history of the house also includes occupation by the US Army in the 1940s - the army and the Home Guard used the former cement works as a demolition training site.

Settlement for the sale is several months away.