King’sHigh School

ThePursuit of PersonalExcellence

areputationfor beingableto relate well to hisworking class constituents in SouthDunedin. However, although a prominentDunedin figure andinvolvedinmanyventures in this city,hewas regarded with suspicionbymanyof itsinfluentialresidents. An honourableman,hewas often tootrustingofothersinhis businessdealings andwas, surprisingly, often disorganised Hispersonallifewas marred by tragedy. Hisfirst wife,Eliza Jane Guise, themotherofhis six children. diedin 1880. In 1882 Larnachmarried herhalf-sister, Mary Cockburn Alleyne. Four years after herdeath in 1887 he marriedConstance de Bathe Brandon, thedaughterofa Wellington solicitor. However, it wasthe deathofhis eldestand favouritedaughter, Kate,in 1891 that devastated him. He became alonely andtired man. Allofhis children were educated in England, spending many yearsawayfrom home When they returned they reportedlyfound life at thecastle tedious.They were notcloseto their stepmothersand called them ‘‘aunt’’ He regarded businessashis true vocation,but hisfinancial problems magnifiedwithfalling land prices andarecessionary economic climate.Hereputedly lost£60,000 when hiswoodware companywas woundupand an associationwiththe Colonial

Bank of NewZealand,which foundered in 1895, appeared to be thelaststraw

He committed suicide at Parliament Buildings on October 12, 1898. Hisestatewas then valued at under£5000, but its networth maywellhavebeen much less. He wasburiedinhis imposingfamilytomb at the Northern Cemetery

Larnachhad thetombbuilt after thedeath of hisfirstwife, Eliza. Also buried thereare Mary,his second wife,his eldest daughter,Kate, andhis eldest son, Donald

The Larnachchildren sold the castle to theGovernmentin 1908, aftersellingthe contents andoriginallandseparately Forsomeyears it wasusedas amentalhospital andshellshocked soldierswerehoused thereduringWorld War1.The castle wasthenabandoned In 1927 it wasboughtbyMr andMrs JacksonPurdie. It was restoredand refurbishedamd enjoyedasecondheyday.

It wassoldagain in 1939 and aperiodofneglect followed. Soldierswerebilletedthere during WorldWar 2and then it wasabandoned again. At one stagethe ballroom wasusedfor holdingsheep

In 1967 it wasboughtby theBarkerfamily, whohave since dedicated themselves to restoring this historic building, making it oneofDunedin’s most outstanding attractions.