Thorndon in 1877

Thorndon in 1877

In the 1870s government-sponsored immigration increased New Zealand's population, and Thorndon began to expand. Successful merchant, land owning and professional families began to build large houses, at the northern end of Thorndon around Hobson Street. Rows of cottages were built to house railway workers and other labourers.

This photograph is part of a panorama taken by Thorndon resident James Bragge in 1877. The large house in the foreground is 'Pendennis', the home of William Hort Levin (1845-1893) and his family. Levin ran the merchant business Levin and Company, and was a Member of Parliament from 1879 to 1884. The North Island town of Levin is named after him.

Pendennis was designed by architect Francis Petre, and built in 1874. It was a large property with grounds extending between Grant and Tinakori Road, and the Levin's employed seven staff to maintain the house and garden. Pendennis is now a hostel for young Māori women coming to the city for work or study.

The photograph also shows the Princess Hotel, the triangular building at the intersection of Murphy and Molesworth Streets (now an apartment block). To the right of the hotel are the Methodist Church and the Native Hostelry (now the site of the Ministry of Health). The spire of Old St Paul's can be seen in the distance on the left. The patch of open ground beyond Pendennis's garden is now part of the Wellington motorway.

William Hort Levin biography – Dictionary of New Zealand Biography

Frances Petre biography – Dictionary of New Zealand Biography

James Bragge biography – Dictionary of New Zealand Biography

Permission of the National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa must be obtained before any reuse of this image

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