Scaled Down

This grand 30-room timber house was built in 1861 by Charles Wyatt, a member of the Provincial Council. Since then, the property has been home to Maurice Harris, a merchant, and later F H Pyne, who established Pyne Gould Guinness (Pyne installed the imposing staircase in the entrance foyer, constructed in Scotland from New Zealand kauri, believed to have been taken to Britain as ship ballast). It was also a boarding house for St Margaret's College, a maternity hospital, and private accommodation for genteel ladies.

Known as Eliza's Manor, it now serves as a guest house and functions centre in the heart of Christchurch. During the earthquakes of 2011 the building suffered considerable damage and later underwent extensive repair work and the removal of many tonnes of bricks over a period of months.

Now fully restored, this important heritage building of the 19th Century stands proudly on Bealey Avenue as a credit to the determination of its owners and it is now better than ever before.