Allendale (1 Mount Albert Road)

Built in 1862 in the middle of a 99-acre farm, Allendale was the first wooden home erected in Mount Albert. Specifically, it was built from pit-sawn kauri from the Kaipara, with the roof made of kauri shingles. The Allen family’s home soon became a social centre for the surrounding farms. In 1866, they got their neighbours together to petition the Government to let them form the Mount Albert Highways Board. A few weeks before, their kitchen had hosted the first Methodist church service in the area.

In 1880, the Public Works Department compulsorily purchased land for a railway line which would cut across their property in an inconvenient manner. As a result, the Allens subdivided 60 acres into 47 lots, contributing to the suburbanisation of Mount Albert. The ad they put in the newspaper read: “47 Large and Beautifully Situated Sites - Volcanic Soil - Close to Railway Station - Buses pass four times per day”.

Return to Mount Albert Road, continue to its intersection with New North Road, and then cross New North Road and turn left.