The Whitneys of Wenderholm

By Ruth Olsen

Couldrey House in Wenderholm Regional Park was originally built by Robert Graham in 1857. It had a succession of owners – including the Couldreys from whom the Auckland Regional Council acquired the house in 1973.

One of the more colourful owners was Major John Whitney who bought the property in 1896, later buying a further 48 acres of foreshore. He served in the British army as a Captain and arrived in NZ in 1884, shortly before the Russian war scare when Russia occupied northern Afghanistan and Czar Alexander sent warships into the north Pacific at Vladivostock. Major Whitney volunteered for the Colonial forces and was appointed assistant aide-de-camp to the Commander, Major General Sir George Whitmore.

However, there was a desperate shortage of ammunition. Britain needed all its armaments and ceased exporting munitions to NZ. Using his military knowledge, Major Whitney formed a company to manufacture ammunition at Mt Eden. After much trial and error, cartridges were developed which were later used by New Zealand  and Australian troops in the Boer War and WW1.

Major Whitney was known as “a wonderful shot” and personally introduced Mallard ducks to Wenderholm from his estates in England. The Major took a lively interest in local affairs, winning prizes for fruit and vegetables at the annual Waiwera show and later becoming its Patron.

The local Boy Scout troop was also a pet project and the troop was invited to camp at Wenderholm, with the Major donating prizes for shooting competitions. He built an Anglican church in Waiwera which opened in January 1915 and is still in use today.

During WW1 the infamous German sea captain Von Luckner was detained on Motuihe Island. When he and his crew made their bid for freedom, Major Whitney was in charge of one of the boats that searched the Hauraki Gulf for the escaping prisoners.

His wife Harriet died in 1917 and shortly after that he sold the Wenderholm property. He died at Remuera aged 96 in 1932 and is buried at Clevedon. At Couldrey House  the Whitney Room, originally a small chapel moved by barge from nearby Te Muri Bay, is dedicated to the Whitney family. It contains a collection of paintings, including two by Harriet Whitney.

Image: The Whitney family

*The dog in the picture, complete with glasses, seems to be reading the paper?