CCC MEDIA RELEASE

Tuesday 27 April, 2010

Plans underway for Grubb Cottage

Restoration work on Grubb Cottage, the most significant colonial domestic dwelling in Lyttelton, will be carried out by Fletcher Construction and is scheduled to commence on Monday 3 May, 2010.

The works will include stabilising and partly refurbishing the cottage, with its character and original fittings to be maintained where possible.

Grubb Cottage Trust Chairman, Sam Strati, says the cottage will be opened to the public as a visitor experience after the works have been completed.

"The end use will be a dynamic, living museum providing a contemporary and changeable space for portraying the history of Lyttelton.

"Grubb Cottage is significant because it was owned by prominent settler John Grubb and his family, who were key to the development of Lyttelton and its port.

"The rear portion is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the area, having been built soon after formal colonisation began. As a whole, the dwelling is an excellent example of the modest cottages built during European colonisation," he says.

The Cottage, at 62 London Street, was bought by the Council in 2006 to ensure its protection. Initially, the Council intended to on-sell the cottage to the Trust but decided it would retain ownership and commit $250,000 to fund the necessary conservation and stabilisation work.

Banks Peninsula Councillor Claudia Reid says the Council is particularly passionate about the protection of the 150-year-old Cottage because of the heritage significance it holds.

"We're pleased to be working in partnership with the Trust to preserve one of Canterbury's most important heritage buildings and give it new life. I am thrilled that the finished product will be something to share with the local community, Christchurch residents and visitors to our city," she says.

The project is expected to take around twelve weeks to complete, with a public opening to be held sometime after this. However, timing will be subject to weather and any archaeological related issues or discoveries.

Since purchasing the Cottage, the Council has funded condition and structural reports, and a conservation plan which included a full assessment of the heritage values of the Cottage and its outbuildings.

The Trust, who will manage the day to day operation of the cottage, plans to introduce an art award and collaborate with other Lyttelton heritage sites to provide a heritage trail of the Cottage, Time Ball, cemetery and gaol.

"We will be looking for ongoing funding and hope the Lyttelton and wider community will get behind us in supporting this project," says Mr Strati.

ENDS

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