Fundraising appeal to publish history of Dacre Cottage & the Weiti Block

The history of Dacre Cottage, the 2nd oldest building in Auckland, the people, and the place.

A fully-illustrated book telling the story of the Cottage, the Dacre family, and the natural history of this stunning coastal strip between the Whangaparaoa Peninsula and the Long Bay Regional Park has been written by Felicity Goodyear-Smith. Dating from 1855, Dacre Cottage is the oldest existing building on the North Shore, and 2nd oldest in Auckland. It was built by Captain Ranulph Dacre for his young son Henry to farm the Weiti block of land, once the kauri trees growing there had been harvested.

Entitled Dacre Cottage & the Weiti Block: Preserving our Heritage, the book tells the story of Captain Dacre, his adventures and enterprises, and the lives and deeds of his descendants. These tales are an important part of the history of this region, of Auckland, and of Aotearoa New Zealand. It includes stories of Dacre’s notable contemporaries, including Chief Eruera Patuone, Sir John Logan Campbell, Governor William Hobson, Sir George Grey, and many others.

The book also tells the story of the many community groups and individuals who have fought to preserve the Cottage and grounds and Dacre’s original Weiti block. Protecting the forest, the land, the estuary, the beach and the wildlife from human degradation and development. Their endeavours have led to the Long Bay Ōkura Marine Reserve, the limiting of coastal housing in the area, pest control, thousands of native trees planted and new walking access. Today dotterels and oystercatchers still breed at Karepiro Bay, and godwits arrive every spring back from their northern migration. Stingrays live in the estuary, and orcas often visit to feed on them.

Dacre Cottage and its surrounds are maintained by a team of local enthusiastic volunteers under the direction of the Dacre Reserve Management Committee for the Auckland City Council. The team, mainly self-funded, has been active in various forms since the Cottage was restored in 1984.

Funds are needed to pay for the production and printing of this book. All proceeds from sales of the book will go to the Dacre Reserve Management Committee to contribute to their ongoing maintenance and improvement programme for the Cottage and the Historic and Esplanade Reserves.

Please help us with your support.
Peter Townend, Chairperson, Dacre Cottage Management Committee dacrecottage@gmail.com Tel 0274 529 255

All who donate more than $100 will receive a free copy of the book and will have their name listed in the book as a donor.

Please make your donations to
Dacre Cottage account number is: 03-0180-0167915-00 (put Book in reference box)
NB: Dacre Cottage Management Committee is not a registered charity.

Publicity

The fundraising appeal has been publicised in the June 18th edition of Localmatters newspaper:

Felicity Goodyear-Smith has almost completed a comprehensive history of Dacre Cottage and the Weiti Block that took a year of research. But funding is needed to get it on the shelves.

Community funding needed to preserve Dacre history

GP and academic, Professor Felicity Goodyear-Smith says she was drawn to the topic of Dacre Cottage and the Weiti Block by a love of kayaking and walking in that area.

When she saw a box of material that Dacre Reserve management committee chair Pete Townend had in his garage, she took a closer look.

Inside were old Minutes, newspaper clippings and documents.

“I was in my element,” Goodyear-Smith says. “I love looking through historical documents and making sense of them – it’s a joy.”

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