16/10/2026
Threads of Nathan Homestead - these portraits capture a small handful of people with a connection to the Homestead, whether through family, growing up locally, or occupying and visiting the space over the past few decades. Together, these stories represent the living heritage of the Homestead.
Having grown up on Grande Vue Road, Renee Bevan has seen Nathan Homestead throughout many iterations. The Homestead was basically her backyard growing up, so it seems very full circle that Renee is now a jewellery workshop teacher and child’s art tutor here. She recounts special childhood memories at the Homestead, such as playing in the bush with her siblings as a child and tennis matches on the courts, but also remembers walking through the Homestead gardens to get to school most days. Photographed in the Workshop space, the magic of the Homestead for her lies in the connections. First, the intergenerational ones: her grandfather used to take art classes here, while she sent her children to the once-onsight preschool. But, there’s also the connections within her classes, where she’s observed learning and growth: from children with endless imaginations, to adults who are looking to upskill in their art practice. These connections - to community and Manurewa, to the Homestead and its programming - keep Renee firmly grounded in, and deeply appreciative of, this place.
Want to share your own experience or history with the Homestead?
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