Henry Reynolds took over the 98,000 acre estate as the first manager and a home and headquarters needed to be established. It needed to be central, within riding distance of both Hamilton’s and Taupiri’s proposed rail stations. The site was chosen and construction got underway (1872). The homestead is the grand remaining feature of the former “Great Estate”, which was once the social and economic centre of the district. Woodlands Homestead was built in stages. Although little is known about the actual architect, it has been noted that the ground floor with its wide verandahs, resembles Henry Reynolds’ parents’ homestead, Trecarne, in Cambridge, NZ. The second stage of building, saw another storey added, a feature of which are the dormer windows set into the steep gabled roof. The arched windows were a unique addition and were framed by the Victorian ornamental finials, with plain bargeboards between. The fretwork on the verandah was kept simple at Woodlands, with a circular pattern in the bracketwork. This detailing was a sign of fashion in the 1870’s. The designs used at Woodlands are not as elaborate as other Victorian examples. The house is built out of Kauri that was likely to have been milled in the area. The timber was used for the foundations, the floor, the staircase, exterior cladding and internal panelling (as can be found in the Kauri room today).
The kauri room of Woodlands Homestead
Looking through from the kauri room into the dining room