It took a Northern Irishman to restore one of the oldest buildings in the Whakatipu Basin.
In 2019, builder John Hudson, who moved to Queenstown in 2011, purchased a 4,803-square-foot portion in Shotover Country that houses the derelict Hicks Cottage, which farmer Thomas Hicks built sometime between the mid-1860s and mid-1870s, shortly after the basin. was settled first.
A category 3 listed heritage in the district plan of the municipality, “it was in an absolutely deplorable condition for a long time”.
So says Robin Miller, of Arrowtown-based Origin Consultants, who prepared a heritage impact assessment.
Its most historically significant feature, he notes, is the wooden shingle roof, “usually denoting a building that predates 1875”.
It was protected by an old corrugated iron roof above it.
Other unusual features were a large crumbling stone chimney of rubble and mortise and tenon in the frame.
Despite its dilapidated state, Hudson says he was keen to “restore it to its natural glory” while also having “a piece of Queenstown’s history.”
“I knew exactly the challenge.”
After first building a grand house that, thanks to architect Jessie Sutherland, of Cromwell’s SA Studio, incorporates design features from Hicks Cottage, Hudson and his team of three builders began the restoration project a few months ago.
The entire roof has been removed and placed on concrete blocks.
A new iron roof, with hydrochloric acid on it to steam it down, was built over the old roof and Hiabed back in place with new frames.
Using the same stones and pattern, stonemason Mike Proctor rebuilt the chimney.
A new concrete slab was laid over insulated foundations – “we raised it a little bit to lift it” [building] code,” says Hudson.
There will be new cedar planks on the outside, while the inside will be clad in old beech trees that happened to be found on a neighboring property.
The front door and window frames — one that replicates the only original — came in this week.
The 51-square-foot cottage, consisting of a living room, bedroom, and bathroom, will cost $200,000 to renovate, Hudson estimates.
Including landscaping, he expects it to be completed by November.
Although it is on the edge of Shotover Country, it is highly visible as it is just off part of the Queenstown Trails Trust trail, near Old School Rd.
Subject to approval, Hudson thinks he will turn it into an Airbnb property, “to open it up to the public.”
In the meantime, he also reuses discarded materials – for example, the old roofing iron is now in his storage shed.
Hudson has built a number of Shotover Country homes and says restoring Hicks Cottage “when the reward is at the end”.