Long-term plan to create community arts facility in Arrowtown
Arrowtown’s most-cherished historic home could become a community arts centre.
Local boutique cinema owner Philippa Archibald has recently bought Reidhaven for $4,075,000.
Just above the CBD, the property comprises the town’s oldest stone house, dating back to 1866, and a heritage orchard.
Archibald, who has acquired it through a trust, says she already had the idea for a community arts facility when she saw Reidhaven was for sale.
‘‘I thought, ‘this might be the right place for this facility’, although it’s full of challenges ’cos it’s got covenants, so I’ll take my time figuring out if my idea can work there or not.’’
Archibald, who has owned Dorothy Browns cinema for 22 years, says her idea is for a community arts centre where people wouldn’t have to pay to paint or do pottery or whatever, ‘‘and you’d have teachers coming down’’.
She sees it being used by retirees and unemployed people, for example — ‘‘you don’t have to be an artist’’.
‘‘They could come and experiment and explore.
‘‘It might help with mental health, it might just help with creativity.’’
Archibald says the centre’s ongoing operation could be funded through providing accommodation of some sort on the property, ‘‘either Airbnb or maybe a small lodge’’.
‘‘My intention is to keep [Reidhaven] as beautiful as it is, but maybe, where it works, build a studio you can offer art experiences [in].
‘‘I don’t need to change the flavour — I love the history, and that’s incredibly special.’’
Idea ‘like music to the ears’ of arts community
She’ll be seeking feedback on her idea — ‘‘I think the idea will evolve when I talk to people in the community’’.
‘‘I’m probably four or five years from doing this.
‘‘It’s just, at the moment, a talk fest — I’m giving myself 10 years to kind of potter along with this idea.
‘‘If it can’t work here, I’ll just renovate the cottage and leave it at that.’’
Reidhaven housed three generations of the Reid family for 150 years.
Remarkably, James Reid, who built the cottage, his son John and his grandson Jack all became mayors of the town.
Jack was the borough’s last mayor, from 1980 to ’89, before it amalgamated with Queenstown’s council.
In 2007, Jack sold the property — which then included vacant land behind the cottage — to Irish billionaire Eamon Cleary, on the condition he could stay there until he died.
In fact Cleary died first, in 2012, followed by Jack, who died in 2016, aged 95.
Cleary’s family trust subsequently developed the 12-lot Three Mayors Ridge subdivision on that vacant site.
Lakes District Museum & Art Gallery director David Clarke, who also chairs the Arrowtown Planning Advisory Group, says when Three Mayors Ridge was developed, ‘‘one of the things we horse-traded was to get that house on its sort of front terrace … so it could at least have some space and garden around it’’.
Reidhaven, he says, has ‘‘struggled to find someone who really wanted to take it on and do something really good with it, so now there’s an opportunity, I guess, with Philly’’.
He can’t discuss her plans too much due to his planning role.
However, he says it’d be no great loss if she didn’t keep the garage and little front building, as they’re later additions.
In the past he’s called Reidhaven ‘‘sort of like Arrowtown’s castle — it was built by the founding fathers, it’s got a prominent location and everyone knows it’’.
Meanwhile, Arrowtown artist Jane Burdon says Archibald’s idea for a Reidhaven community arts centre is ‘‘like music to my ears’’.
‘‘I think it’s wonderful, because everything these days has to be on a grand scale, and I just get sick of it.
‘‘There’s nothing wrong with having something like Reidhaven, with all that character, it would just be absolutely amazing.
‘‘Art has become popular since Covid, and this will bring together lots of artists, and those who want to try a new hobby.
‘‘Well done, Philly.’’
