History of Larnach Castle
Successful banker, financier, parliamentarian and merchant Baron, William Larnach built the Castle overlooking the spectacular Otago Peninsula, harbour and Dunedin for his first wife. The sometimes scandalous and tragic history of the Castle along with the magnificent ceilings, antiques and breathtaking views offer a vision of the past and present.
Lovingly restored the building is surrounded by 35 acres of grounds featuring nine different gardens, something for everyone - rockeries, perennial borders, deciduous azalea beds, 'forests', succulents and everything between. Scattered throughout are rhododendrons, a species that thrives in this climate.
The differing gardens seamlessly merge from one to another; each contained yet still connected to its neighbour. Where possible, the gardens have the magnificent backdrop of the Otago Peninsula, always there but always different..
With its exciting, sometimes scandalous and tragic history, magnificent carved ceilings, New Zealand antiques and breathtaking views, Larnach Castle offers you a vision of the past and present.
1871 - 1898 "The Larnach Years"
The Story of William Larnach
William James Mudie Larnach , of Scottish descent, was born in 1833 in New South Wales, Australia. His banking career began in Melbourne then followed the gold rush to the Australian goldfields where he was manager of the Bank of New South Wales at Ararat. His bank was a tent and his equipment consisted of dogs, a gun, and strong boxes.
Gold was discovered in Otago, New Zealand, in the 1860's. Larnach was offered the position of manager of the Bank of Otago in Dunedin, which serviced the extensive goldfields. He sailed for Dunedin in 1867.
Larnach's brilliant career encompassed his merchant empire Guthrie and Larnach, banking, shipping, farming, landholding, politics and ... speculation. He travelled extensively and was a cabinet minister, holding various portfolios, over a period of twenty five years.
Larnach was married three times and had six children. He was pre deceased by his first two wives and his eldest daughter, Kate. He took his own life in the New Zealand parliament buildings in 1898.
Building Larnach Castle
Larnach was a man of great vision and created a magnificent residence for himself and his family.
A story is told that William Larnach and one of his sons went for a horse ride along the top of the Otago Peninsula to choose the best site for their home. Today you can still see why this site was chosen as it has wonderful panoramic views of Dunedin, Otago Harbour, the Peninsula and the Pacific Ocean.
First the site was clear-felled, then the hill site was levelled by putting pegs into the volcanic rock and pouring salt water on them to split the rock. Approximately 200 men spent three years building the shell of the Castle and then gifted European craftsmen spent 12 years embellishing the interior.
Materials from all over the world were used - marble from Italy, slate from Wales, tiles from England, glass from Venice and France. No expense was spared in creating Larnach's dream home! Many New Zealand native woods were also used - kauri, rimu floors and honeysuckle panelling. In 1885 a 3000 square foot Ballroom was also added.
The Larnach Family
Larnach's first wife Eliza Guise, had six children - Donald, Douglas, Kate, Colleen, Alice and Gladys. Eliza died at the age of 38 when Gladys was still a baby. Larnach then married Eliza's half sister Mary Alleyne. They were married for 5 years when sadly Mary also died at the age of 38. Larnach then married a much younger lady, Constance de Bathe Brandon. Larnach was struck by tragedy when his favourite daughter Kate died in her 20s. The children were all sent to England for their education. This meant long sea voyages and a lot of time away from the Castle.
After Larnach's suicide in 1898 the family was torn apart by legal battles over Larnach's property as he died intestate. The family then sold the Castle in 1906.
LARNACH'S CASTLE
extract from Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand,
In April 1871 W. J. M. Larnach acquired a magnificent building site on the Otago Peninsula, 800 ft above sea level, from which were almost unsurpassed panoramic views of harbour, ocean, and coastline, and the environs of Dunedin. Plans for a mansion in keeping with Larnach's style of living were prepared overseas and supervised locally – and perhaps modified – by R. A. Lawson, a leading Dunedin architect.
The mansion was to be an “elegant house” of three storeys, with a tower carrying an additional storey and the whole surmounted by a turret rising to a height of 70 ft. It was stated that the style would be “English manorial”, but in point of fact it became an extraordinary architectural creation with Scottish Baronial predominating. The interior decorations were equally grandiose, with intricately carved ceilings and staircases showing an Italian influence.
Work began in early 1873 and continued for three years, the Otago Daily Times recording on 12 April 1876 that the building was at last finished “… doubtless the most princely, as it is the most substantial and elegant residence in New Zealand …”. Much of the stone for the exterior was quarried locally, but Italian marble, Aberdeen stone, Venetian glass, and rare woods were imported for special purposes.
The ornamentation, the work of skilled carvers, some of whom were brought from Europe, was wonderfully executed and the furniture was designed to match. An impressive feature was a spiral hanging staircase, the rails of which were carved from solid blocks of kauri. Equally impressive was the ballroom, 90 ft by 30 ft.
The main approach to the building was guarded by massive stone lions, while at the entrance door were carved eagles with outstretched wings. The exterior buildings included stables paved with Marseilles cobbles, coach houses, harness rooms, and extensive glasshouses and conservatories, all in a setting of superb gardens.
Not without reason was it known locally as “The Castle”. But Larnach called it “The Camp” because the family “camped” in another building on the site while work was under way. Various estimates have been made as to the cost, which was probably around £100,000 for the buildings and £50,000 on “extras” and grounds. In terms of present-day values this would represent an expenditure of at least half a million pounds.
Larnach and His Castle, Reed, A. H. (1950).
