A historic waterfront home in Queenstown-Lakes could be snapped up for less than $1 million.
Built in 1864, the former Ship Inn hotel is the oldest surviving building in Kingston, at the southern end of Lake Wakatipu, and is a symbol of the region’s gold mining past.
Now a three-bedroom home, 24 Cornwall Street is seeking offers over $825,000.
Listing agent Nicole Bell, from Colliers, said the vendor had cherished the timber building’s historic features and wanted the next owner to love it as much as she had.
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She had bought the property in 2014 for $405,000 and lived there for many years before moving to the UK. Her friend had been staying there in her absence but had recently moved out.
Bell said her vendor was reluctantly selling but had acknowledged the property was too much to maintain from overseas. “The owner is not going to give it away. She’s happy to get circa $825,000 for it because it is unique,” she said.
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“She can afford to hang onto it so she’s not in a position where she has to sell it. She wants to make sure the person who buys it loves it like she did.”
Bell told OneRoof a cash buyer was needed because the property was in a flood zone.
She has already received interest from a builder in Australia and said it would suit someone looking for a project that they could restore it to its original state.
There were some restrictions around what could be done to the category three heritage-protected building, particularly around its exterior, and owners would need to check with the council, she added.
A heritage report on Kingston commissioned for the Queenstown Lakes District Council in 2007 described the Ship Inn as the town’s oldest building.
The Ship Inn is the oldest remaining building in Kingston. Photo / Supplied
The exposed timber beams and stained glass window have been retained from when it was the Ship Inn. Photo / Supplied
The building comprises two wings. The front wing facing Cornwall Street was built in the early to mid-1860s and the rear wing on Cambridge Street was erected after that but before 1973.
The report noted that “surviving buildings of this age, particularly timber are relatively rare in the Otago goldfields”, adding it was “highly significant both in terms of Kingston and in wider regional terms”.
Bell said there was nothing else like it in the town. “It’s got three fireplaces, pretty low ceilings – it’s just so historically cool.”
The renovations were in keeping with the original character and the hardwood flooring, exposed beams, two grand hearths, and stained-glass window were impressive features.
The views from the property were also magnificent, she said, because they looked directly over Lake Wakatipu. “It’s got really good appeal.”
She added: “We do get a bit of wind in Kingston so you either have a lake view or you buy a house away from the lake where you are sheltered.”
The 1860s building has three fireplaces. Photo / Supplied
The lakeside property has breathtaking views of Lake Wakatipu and the mountains. Photo / Supplied
While there were older-looking buildings in Kingston, many of them had been relocated from around the Wakatipu and were not in their original sites making the Ship Inn even more special to the area. “There’s nothing like this.”
While Kingston has traditionally been a popular holiday spot, Bell said it was attracting more permanent residents as it was just over a 30-minute drive from Queenstown and much more affordable.
“And being such a short ride – although it is windy through The Devil’s Staircase – people tend to live in their house when they buy it.”
Its location on the lake and unique charm also made it a great holiday home or Airbnb, she said. “If I rented it on Airbnb, I would be delighted.”
The Ship Inn was one of 10 pubs originally built in the town during the gold rush. In the late 1800s, it was a meeting point for travellers and their horses, local settlers, farmers, gold miners, and tourists on the railway.
- 24 Cornwall Street, in Kingston, is accepting offers over $825,000
