Ōhinetahi, Heritage gardens and historic house in Governors Bay, New Zealand.
Ōhinetahi is a valley estate at the head of Lyttelton Harbour, at the base of the Port Hills, comprising a restored historic homestead and a formal garden begun in 1977. The garden surrounds the house and includes two small art galleries, one holding works by New Zealand artists such as Ralph Hotere and Shane Cotton, the other architectural models and photographs from Warren & Mahoney.
The first European owner, lawyer Christopher Alderson Calvert, bought the land in 1852 and had Benjamin Mountfort design a one-room cottage, prefabricated in Lyttelton and carried up in sections. William Sefton Moorhouse enlarged it in the mid-1850s, and Thomas Potts rebuilt it between 1863 and 1867 as a three-storey sandstone house between two wooden halves. After the September 2010 earthquake the central block was reduced from three storeys to two.
Ōhinetahi means "The Place of One Daughter" in Māori, named for the daughter of Manuhiri, son of Ngāi Tahu chief Te Rakiwhakaputa, who lived at the pā here. The name was adopted by early owner Christopher Alderson Calvert after consulting local Māori.
The property welcomes visitors from mid-September through March with guided tours available through the gardens and house. Comfortable walking shoes are advisable since the grounds feature grass, gravel, and varied pathways to explore.
The two small galleries on the grounds hold works by Shane Cotton, Ralph Hotere, Richard McWhannell and Peter Robinson, alongside 3D models and photographs of projects by Warren & Mahoney. Stone removed from the house's upper storey during post-earthquake restoration was reused to build terraces toward the harbour.
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