Former homes of prostitutes and drug-pushers may sell for $350,000 each

Press, 18 June 1982, Page 14

Former homes of prostitutes and drug-pushers may sell for $350,000 each

Auckland’s Dilworth Terrace, a row of eight Victorian houses in Parnell, is to be restored to“ its former architectural glory in a $1 million-plus preservation programme. Overlooking The Strand and the Waitemata Harbour, Dilworth Terrace was built for £6900 by the James Dilworth Trust Board at the turn of the century to provide an income from rents for Dilworth School. In its colourful history, it has known times as Auckland’s "Nob Hill,” accommodating the well-to-do, and "Easy Street" tenanted by prostitutes, drug-pushers and abortionists. It is now owned bv an architect,-. Mr Don Ellison, who bought the property as a run-down slum in 1966, saving it from threatened demolition by the Auckland City Council. ‘ He cleaned and upgraded the houses, some of which were already converted into makeshift flats,-spending an immense amount of money and effort on that work and subsequent maintenance over a 16-year period. . Now he is about to realise a long-held dream of restoring them to their original design as eight townhouses,

which he will sell individually as large family homes of about 3000 square feet forming a street of authentic Victorian homes. Early this century, Dilworth Terrace held pride of place among many fine houses in Parnell built for successful merchants and industrialists. ’ Gradually, however, as the city developed with more and more working class homes and as industry closed in, the wealthier people moved out. Their homes were-divided into flats and a period of gradual deterioration set in. For Dilworth Terrace, the decline was accelerated by the reclamation of the harbour and the development of the railway sidings and the Auckland Railway Station. The soot and grime from the coal-fired steam locomotives took their toll on the environment, had a damaging affect on property and determined the type of tenant willing to live there. By the late fifties and sixties, Dilworth Terrace had attracted a reputation of being one of the worst slums in Auckland. The houses were sub-let

many times over by tenants and harboured prostitutes, sly-grog distillers, drugpushers, firearms dealers, pimps and abortionists among their number. Such was its notoriety that few taxi drivers would venture near Dilworth Terrace, or “Easy Street" as it was then known, for fear of a rock or beer bottle through the windscreen. “When I first saw it in the 1960 s just before Mr Ellison became involved, I was shocked at the way the’ houses were being used," recalls a retired city senior health inspector, Mr Jack Marshall. "There was terrible overcrowding with no adequate sanitation and rats the size of dogs about the place ... a real health hazard. “I had no hesitation in sending out a notice of intention to take action under the Health Act requiring,repairs or closure. The schedule of works ran to umpteen pages of considerable repairs. “I was actually contemplating a demolition notice when Mr Ellison came on the scene with d plan to upgrade the houses.” Such is the rescue work that Mr Ellison has already performed on the buildings

that the Auckland City Council has now designated them for preservation with a Category A classification. In one of the city's most ambitious restoration projects he is supervising the work of hand-picked craftsmen and tradesmen who will renovate the houses one by one over the next three years working from the original plans drawn by the architect, Thomas Mahoney, who was responsible for many fine Victorian buildings including the old Customhouse.

Original timbers, ornate carvings and kauri floors are being uncovered and painstakingly stripped and restored, brick fireplaces and feature walls are being exposed and rebuilt and new fittings chosen to blend modern facilities with the old character of the property. Of the eight townhouses, four are two-storey dwellings and four have three storeys. When restored they will have/ four and six bedrooms respectively. There will be private landscaped gardens on the harbour side and existing unsightly power poles will be removed . and all services placed underground. The first fully restored townhouse should be finished this month, and Mr Ellison hopes to have restored three by the end of the year. Tenants of the existing flats have been advised of the . development and are being given plenty of notice and assistance in finding alternative accommodation within the block. “Fortunately, because the houses are being renovated one at a time there isn’t the need for everyone to leave at once," says Mr Ellison. Why is he doing it? “If I was only interested in the money I could sell them now, as is, quite profitably. “But although others may be prepared to preserve them, I don’t think anyone else would be prepared to restore them in the manner I propose. ' ‘ : , “A lot of my colleagues agree the houses have great architectural, merit seldom seen in New Zealand.” And the cost to the eight families who will occupy New Zealand’s most exclusive Victorian residential property? „■ "I will have, to work out a separate purchase price based on restoration costs, freehold land values, etc. .of each individual house. At this stage I imagine the first one — a two-storey house - will be on. the market for around the $350,000 mark."