Airlie House (1878-79/1905)

Airlie House is situated on Town Section 298 and is constructed in two parts - an 1870s cottage at the rear, and a grand two-storied villa addition at the front. 

The original section of the home is a combined box cottage with rear lean-to. This was constructed for owner Thomas Oxenham in late-1878 soon after his purchase of the property. Oxenham was a farmer at Ōākura and the cottage initially appears to have been rented, with Oxenham only moving into the house upon his retirement. The cottage is clearly indicated on Skinner's 1880 Map of New Plymouth. 

Ownership was transferred to Mrs Oxenham on T. Oxenham's death in 1895, with Mrs Oxenham owning the property until her death in 1905 (although she lived the last two years of her life in Whanganui). 

The front section is thus actually an addition - a grand two-storied villa designed by prominent New Plymouth architect Frank Messenger for the McHardy's in 1905. The McHardy's were recent arrivals from Auckland - Mr A. McHardy had recently been appointed manager of The National Bank in New Plymouth; being transferred from the Newton Branch in Auckland. Mr McHardy may have originally been from New Plymouth, as he had previously worked as a staff member at the New Plymouth branch.

The McHardy's purchased the property in September 1905, and soon after this date, in October 1905, a permit for the new Messenger designed residence was granted by the Borough Council. Note that in Ian Pritchard's 1994 list of Messenger designed buildings, the Town Section is listed incorrectly as '300' instead of '298', and the owner is listed as 'Mr Handy', instead of 'McHardy'.

The McHardy's appear to have moved into the house by February 1906, and named their new home "Airlie", with the earliest reference to the name being an advertisement for a "good general', placed by Mrs McHardy in July 1907; why the name Airlie was chosen is unknown.

Town Section 298, Taranaki Land Deeds Index I3, page 462.

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Grand Home or B & B...you decide (Daily News 29 September 2001)

Draft Heritage Assessment Airlie House, 161 Powderham Street (Hamish Crimp)