Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga has kindly given permission for this cache. Please treat the property with respect. It is not necessary to pay the entrance fee to sign the cache.
Alberton. This exceptionally well-preserved mansion is an architectural delight offering a fascinating insight into the lives of a wealthy early settler family.
Situated on the lower slopes of Mt Albert and once the centrepiece of a 500-acre country estate, Alberton began life as a two-storey farmhouse built in 1863. It belonged to Allan Kerr Taylor, one of several brothers of Scots descent who purchased estates in early Auckland. The Taylors inherited fortunes from their father, a colonel in the British Army stationed in India.
As Allan Kerr Taylor’s wealth grew, so did the size of Alberton and a family of ten children borne by his second wife Sophia, a suffragette. In 1872 Alberton was expanded to a fashionable, 18-room mansion with a strong Indian theme inspired by his country of birth. For the latter part of the nineteenth-century it was renowned for events such as balls, hunts and garden parties attended by Auckland social elite.
Visitors today could be forgiven for thinking the family has just popped out for a while. When bequeathed to the public in 1972, the Kerr Taylor’s descendants left the house furnished with a treasure trove of original artefacts. These include the family’s period furniture and fine dinnerware, the copper in the washhouse, and the coal-fired range over which the servants toiled. While the ballroom is always a highlight, many visitors are equally beguiled by the original wallpapers in situ in many of the rooms, and the austere servants’ quarters in the attics.
Opening Hours: Wed - Sun 10.30 am to 4pm
Entrance Fee: Its not necessary to pay to sign the cache. The house is full of history and an interesting place to visit, Adults $10, children and HNZPT members free.
Other Historic places caches: Ewelme & Highwic
To retrieve the cache: Find for the Dairy, porch, RHS on top of the shelf