Daresbury (Christchurch)

 mansion / manor house / villa  Add category

A historic three story house, privately owned but can be seen from the railway walkway and sometimes Fendalton Road.
Designed by Christchurch architect Samuel Hurst Seager [1855–1933] in the neo-Tudor Domestic Revival style for local wine and spirit merchant George Humphrey [1848 - 1934] The property remained in the ownership of the Humphrey and Kingscote families until 1985,and between 1940 and 1950 was the Governor General’s official residence in Christchurch. The house was initially completed in 1897 but had additions progressively built on up to 1910.

Until 1945 the property was called ‘Daresbury Rookery’ because of the rooks that roosted in a copse of blue gum trees planted on the property in 1862 when it was part of the Deans estate.

Over the years much of the property’s 25 acres of land has been sold off and today the 3 storey mansion stands only on 0.7 hecatares .