Ewelme Cottage

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The kauri-constructed Ewelme Cottage, designed and built by Reverend Vicesimus Lush. Nau mai, Haere Mai.

Welcome to Ewelme Cottage, located in Parnell, Auckland, New Zealand. The kauri-constructed Ewelme Cottage has a link with the Anglican community in Auckland, the dwelling designed and built by the Reverend Vicesimus Lush (1817-1882) and his wife Blanche in 1863-64. Located close to the prominent Anglican community in Parnell, the house enabled Lush's sons to attend the Church of England grammar school while he was attended to his pastoral duties. Lush was frequently away on extended absences, particularly after being appointed 'Visiting Clergyman to the Inner Waikato' in 1865. Ewelme was extended 18 years after it was originally built and remained in family hands till 1968. Some architects have suggested that the design with ground floor rooms laid out progressively along the axial length of the building, rather than having a conventional front and back, displays an influence from medieval British dwellings, and a religious consideration of the time which sought to blend medieval architecture into contemporary architecture. Ewelme Cottage is of considerable importance for its well-preserved interiors and furnishings, and provides great insights into colonial building materials and techniques as well as middle-class domestic life. It boasts close to 2000 books, hundreds of pages of sheet music, original artworks and a vast array of everyday objects from ointment pots to knitting needles. Its well-preserved 19th century garden adds further charm to a visit.

08/10/2026

These two dried, deflated objects are tuatara eggs. They are housed in a metal matchbox, accompanied by a note from the collector, ‘Mr Gesse’, and are on display at Ewelme Cottage in Parnell, Auckland.

It is unknown how these tuatara eggs came to be part of the Lush family collection, but it is believed they may have been given to the family sometime in the 19th century.

The Lush family had a strong interest in natural history, and the collection at Ewelme Cottage includes specimens from New Zealand and overseas.

Despite their lizard-like appearance, tuatara are not classified as lizards. Instead, they belong to the order Rhynchocephalia, an ancient group of reptiles that lived alongside dinosaurs more than 200 million years ago.

Tuatara are the only surviving members of this order and are endemic to Aotearoa New Zealand.

Visit Ewelme Cottage, Sunday 10.30am-4.30pm (last entry 3.45pm)

16/09/2026

Visit Sunday 10.30am-4.30pm (last entry 3.45pm) to view Ewelme Cottage's eclectic collection !

13/03/2026

Heads up ! Ewelme Cottage will be closed for renovation from Sunday 5 April through until early June 2026.

If your planning a visit, we will be open every Sunday through March from 10.30 am - 4.30pm (last entry 3.45pm).

Image : Ronald Clark, A View of Ewelme Cottage from the gate in Ayr Street, Parnell, 1972, Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections 1207-0898.

13/02/2026

Ewelme's ‘Ponytail’ palm is blooming!

This unique plant rarely produces flowers, requiring 10-30 years of maturity and ideal conditions before their first bloom. The last time we saw it bloom was 2020.

Despite the name Ponytail palms are in-fact not true palm trees but a slow growing succulent in the asparagus family. The plant is sometimes referred to as 'the Elephant's Foot', after its swollen, water retaining, trunk base.

Visit Ewelme Cottage, Sundays 10.30am-4.30pm (last entry at 3.45pm), to explore the heritage garden and learn about the significant history of the home and property.

29/01/2026

One of Ewelme's wonderful visitor hosts' Ruth, recently made a trip to Ewelme Village, in South Oxfordshire, England. The small village, from which Ewelme gets its name, was the home of Blanche Lush for six years between the death of her parents at seventeen and her marriage to Vicesimus Lush.

Ruth visited the town's historic church, store and almshouse as well as Saffron House - where Blanche lived with her widowed aunt Lady Taunton.

Inspired by a small frame of pressed flowers from Saffron House, which currently hangs in the Ewelme Cottage entry foyer, Ruth presented the Ewelme Village archivist with a selection of pressed plants from the Ewelme Cottage garden.

19/11/2025

Artist Tess Elliot recently spent time at Ewelme Cottage documenting the house as part of her practice. Her new exhibition Prelude is currently on display at RM Gallery in Auckland Central, and includes captivating images of the house. The exhibition documents the imagined projection of a settler woman’s life informed by the site and archives of Ewelme Cottage and the short stories of Katherine Mansfield.

It is a joy to see artists interpreting our heritage sites in new and captivating ways

11/11/2025

A special collection of pressed plants from Ewelme's collection will be on display at Highwic in conjunction with their upcoming Sweetpea and Plant Fair on Saturday 22 November.

04/06/2025

To celebrate National Volunteer Week, Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga is holding open days at Highwic, Alberton and Ewelme Cottage !

Visit each of the three historic properties and learn how our dedicated team of volunteers help care for Auckland's unique heritage and learn more about the volunteering opportunities currently offered by Heritage New Zealand.

Open days:

Tuesday 17 June - Highwic, 40 Gillies Ave, Newmarket
Wednesday 18 June - Ewelme Cottage, 14 Ayr Street, Parnell
Thursday 19 June - Alberton, 100 Mt Albert Rd, Mt Albert

Free entry, 10.30am-1.30pm

30/05/2025

One of Ewelme's wonderful visitor hosts is raising money to pay for a gravestone to honor the death of Mabel Helander, who worked as a maid for the Lush family.

Read more about Mabel's story and the initiative at the Give a little page below.

Please note that this is not a Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga led fundraiser, however Ewelme support's this inspiring personal initiative to honor the story of Mabel and working class women in the 19th century.

Funding a grave marker for Mabel Helander, a 19 y/o girl who died by su***de in 1893.

03/04/2025

April School Holidays at Highwic, Alberton and Ewelme Cottage

Take a step back in time this school holidays and explore the three Auckland Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga properties Highwic, Alberton and Ewelme Cottage.

Each site offers a unique opportunity to experience the lives and homes of three Auckland families in the late 1800s.

Take part in a new House Hunts to explore the properties indoors and out, and learn more about the history of these families and how they lived. Lots of fun facts, information to seek out, and prizes for completing the trail.

Highwic and Alberton are open Wednesday through to Sunday, and Ewelme Cottage on Sundays.

When: Saturday 12 April – Sunday 27 April
Cost: Normal entry (Free for HNZPT Members, Adults $10, Children 17 & under free)

https://www.visitheritage.co.nz/visit/auckland

https://www.visitheritage.co.nz/visit/auckland/ewelme-cottage
https://www.visitheritage.co.nz/visit/auckland/highwic
https://www.visitheritage.co.nz/visit/auckland/alberton

Address

14 Ayr Street
Auckland
1052

Opening Hours

10am - 4:30pm

Website

https://www.heritage.org.nz/places/places-to-visit/auckland-region/ewelme-cottage

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