Treaty House - Architectural History

Architectural History

The Treaty House was built in 1833-4 for Busby and his family. It is one of New Zealand's oldest surviving buildings. Originally the building consisted of two main rooms, plus an entrance hallway, verandah, and a detached rear block containing a kitchen and servants' room. Busby considered the house to be too small for someone of his standing, but for 1830s New Zealand it was a large house. It was expanded in the 1830s and 1840s with the addition of a lean-to and two wings.

The property remained in the Busby family until 1882, when it was sold to a local farmer. For at least some of the next few years it was used for agricultural purposes, including shearing sheep. It fell into disrepair, despite some efforts to bring it into public ownership. These were successful in 1932, when Bledisloe made his purchase, and the house was subsequently restored by leading architect W.H. Gummer. This was one of the earliest major state restorations of a historic building in New Zealand. In preparation for the 1990 sesquicentennial of the Treaty signing, the house was modified to more accurately reflect what it would have been like in 1840.

The house has been a New Zealand Historic Places Trust Category I listed building since 1983. It contains a museum devoted to the Treaty and to life in the house in the mid nineteenth century. Elsewhere in the grounds are a carved whare runanga and the large waka taua "Nga Toki Matawhaorua", both built for the 1940 celebrations.