October 16th, 2025

I was lucky enough recently to have a look around an historic Timaru blue stone residence that has been presented for sale on the local property market. 

Situated just off Claremont Road, it sits on a back section and has a sunny open aspect. It is private and peaceful, nestled in amongst the neighbouring sections and is surrounded by the sounds of native bird call that drift up from our wonderful Centennial Park.
The cottage was built by David Fyfe in the 1860’s and overlooks the site of his quarry near where the northern branch of the Otipua Stream flows into the Scenic Reserve.

The Fyfe family were from Dundee in Scotland and David brought with him some impressive masonry skills, he became a great proponent of building in our local basalt. 

The original cottage, of standard rectangular form, was constructed out of bluestone quarried from the Scenic Reserve by Fyfe. The bluestone walls are in great condition and it is still, in part, a rare surviving example of early settler architecture in New Zealand.
Upon close inspection, you can see where the cottage's original roof line was and where it has been extended over the years. Alterations have been carried out to enhance its liveability, but it still preserves some of its historic charm.

David Fyfe operated private quarries in the Gleniti area, extracting our distinctive Timaru bluestone, basalt, for use in local buildings, bridges and infrastructure, contributing to Timaru’s unique architectural character. The park was also the site of several quarries owned by the Timaru Harbour Board. 

Our bluestone reserves are plentiful and come from lava that flowed down to the shore of Timaru from Waipouri Mt Horrible 2.5 million years ago. They make for a remarkable building material and solid foundation for our town to sit atop.

The Otipua Creek area was then a rural locality, also known as Beaconsfield. It was settled by European immigrants in the 1870’s and became a thriving village. It has gradually been encompassed into the suburb of Gleniti in the Timaru Township.

Another nearby small building of note is the Dynamite storage shed that sits within a quarried area along Otipua Stream on the other side of Claremont Road. The use of dynamite was essential for breaking apart the hard basalt found throughout the quarry. The shed was in close walking distance but kept the explosives secure and isolated from the main worksite and residence.

It is also made of stone and built to be fireproof and blast-resistant. It’s remote placement and thick walls reflect the sensible safety practices of the time.
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You can follow David Fyfe’s fascinating journey to New Zealand on the Wuhoo Timaru page under Wuhoo Timaru Fyfe House.  

Karen Rolleston


Mr Fyfe is survived by his widow, two daughters and three sons. The Misses M. D. and J. Fyfe live with their mother at Glen-iti. The sons are Mr D. J. Fyfe, Wellington; C. Fyfe, Christchurch; and W. Fyfe, Wairarapa."