Cottage’s history told

The story of Queenstown’s oldest house, built in 1864, has now been told.

Five interpretation panels have been hung in Williams Cottage’s parlour room, enhanced by a TV set showing historic photos and a dress worn by a great niece of the original owner, boatman John Williams.

The content was written by local heritage architect Jackie Gillies, with assistance from Arrowtown’s Lakes District Museum and Heritage New Zealand.

Gillies, who chairs the trust which saved and then restored the Marine Parade cottage in the mid-’90s, also credits Sign It Signs for designing the self-illuminated panels and Noel Leeming for the TV.

She says the current tenant, Vesta gift store owner Tracie McVicar, ‘‘has really generously given this whole room over to interpretation because she has so many queries from people about the history of the place and what it’s all about, and she’s always having to try and find the answers’’.

Gillies, who’s about to shift to Auckland, is also thrilled knowing the cottage is safe after its chimneys were recently earthquake-proofed and sprinklers were added.

“NZ loses historic buildings so easily from fire,” she says.

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