Historic cottage a tight squeeze

Silverdale recently celebrated 100 years since its change of name from ‘Wade’. Various suggestions have been put forward as to why the name ‘Silverdale’ was chosen. One suggestion relates to rows of silver poplars in a local valley, but it seems that this is unlikely as the existence of any such trees is doubtful.

The name was suggested at a public meeting in the Silverdale Hall by Henry Frith who had been a travelling sales representative for a stationery firm – Mexton’s of Manchester. It is very likely that he knew of a Silverdale, near Newcastle-under-Lyme in Britain, from his travels.

The name change was proposed by a local Councillor at a meeting of the Waitemata County Council in October 1910. It was opposed by other Councillors and was only passed on the Chairman’s casting vote. The name of the Post Office was officially changed in 1911.

Henry Frith came to New Zealand with his wife and 18-month-old son Harry in 1908. He came up the Wade River to look at a property near Viponds Road, but the agent instead persuaded him to buy Milton Farm – seven acres of land with fruit trees, a cow and several fowls.

There was also a house on the site, which is believed to have been built by a member of the Moffat family around 1882. The property was roughly in the area near the Whangaparaoa traffic lights, now part of the Millwater housing development.

Three more children (all daughters) were born to the Friths and they all continued to live in the tiny cottage, but sadly Henry Frith died in 1920.

According to his son Harry, he was walking down Leigh Road to give piano lessons in November when he got a form of sunstroke and died the following January.

Mrs Frith continued to sell apples, plums and peaches from the orchard and she supplied Mrs Eaves at the Orewa Guest House with fruit. She also sold milk, cream, eggs and poultry – most of the eggs went by boat, in crates of 30 dozen, to the Auckland market.

The family stayed in the cottage until 1943 when it was sold to Mr. Bielby who owned the Silverdale garage.

In 1990 the cottage was shifted to the Pioneer Village in Wainui Road and became the home of the Pioneer Herb Society. It is a very small cottage and visitors to the Village often wonder how a family of six ever fitted into it.