'Kapunatiki' was built in the mid-nineteenth century near to the sea and close to the settlement of Rangitata in South Canterbury. Surrounded by acres of arable land it is still used as a farmhouse today, but one with a significant slice of history attached to it. It was bought in 1879 by William Rolleston, a politician, educationalist, public administrator and Canterbury provincial superintendent. Rolleston died here in 1903 and a statue erected in his honour is to be seen outside the Canterbury Museum.
Despite the historical significance of this house and its importance as an example of early New Zealand rural architecture, it is soon to be replaced by a new building which will provide a warmer, more efficient family home for its owners.