From the Resene News – issue 1/2008

Heritage lifestyler - Stoneycroft in Omahu Road, Hastings
Built in 1875, Stoneycroft in Omahu Road, Hastings is today registered as Category II under the Historic Places Act 1993. The home is sited on land that was once part of the Heretaunga block purchased from local Maori in 1870, subsequently subdivided in 1871 and in 1873 sold as the first Hastings town sections.

The two storied colonial house in the 'Victorian carpenter Gothic' style is a relatively unaltered example of an early runholder's 'town house' and representative of the lifestyle of early Hawkes Bay landed families. The original shingle roof was replaced with corrugated iron after the 1931 earthquake but the house escaped unscathed with no major damage. Over its 130 year life it has only had five owners, the last living there for nearly five decades securing the home's future by signing a heritage covenant with the NZ Historic Places Trust to ensure future owners would be bound to protect it.

The precious nature of the home placed limits on exterior surface preparation methods. Exterior surfaces were prepared by low pressure washing and hand sanding, with heat related removal methods strictly forbidden to minimise the risk of damage.

Once meticulously prepared, exterior weatherboards were finished in Resene Hi-Glo gloss acrylic tinted to Resene Splash (ochre yellow) accented by bargeboards, brackets and finials finished in Resene Enamacryl tinted to Resene Greenback (bush green). The cream and green palette continues onto the roof with COLORSTEEL® Rivergum, onto the exterior doors and window frames with Resene Spirulina (natural green) and onto the exterior window sashes and verandah posts finished in Resene Quarter Dutch White (off-yellow cream).

The colour scheme is based on the original palette of the home designed to provide a modern interpretation while being sympathetic to alterations, such as the roof. The most distinctive feature of the house is the collection of gables, each ornamented with brackets, stick work and finials and these decorative elements are accented in the new colour scheme to emphasise the forms and details of the house, as was done in the 1890s.

The house is just one piece of the heritage treasure, with a series of historic outbuildings and significant trees, including nine registered as notable and historic in March 1987, also calling the Stoneycroft 2.4 hectare site home.

With a freshly painted exterior and a covenant on future owners, this home enjoys a level of protection that most homes would envy.

Architect: Chris Cochran, Conservation Architect
Painting Contractor: Freeman Decorators
Property Manager: Hastings District Council
Resene: Helen Clayton-Greene, Hastings Sales Representative