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History | ||
>>view history slideshows:>>view The Land >>view The House >>view The People >>view The Restoration Fairfield was built by the Atkinson family from 1872-1883. Arthur Samuel was a prominent lawyer, active in business and politics. Jane Marie (nee Richmond) was active in the suffragette movement and promoted education for girls. As Unitarians they were progressive thinkers and involved in the cutting edge of politics. Their home was an important center for the community. The distinctive tower on the west end of the building was originally built to mount a large telescope and cater for Arthur's hobby of astronomy. The house was lived in by generations of the family until 1922 when the property was passed to the fledgling Nelson Girl's College who used it as a prep school and boarding house. |
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Nelson Colleges used the mansion for over fifty years and generations
of Nelson's youngsters knew it as their home away from home. (The
ballroom was the common room!). By 1976 the students had gone to new
hostels, a fire had destroyed the accommodation block and the old
building was derelict. The end seemed inevitable. Allan Stanton and friends thought otherwise. With passion and energy to suit the times, they took on the bureaucratic apathy, and won the right to begin a long struggle Today after twenty years of restoration and partly because of the process, Fairfield is the pride of Nelson. Community energy continues to develop a center for the city that is a loved and living venue for events and the arts. |
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