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HERITAGE RESOURCE
Daysh House is listed as a heritage resource with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. The property was originally a dairy farm. Most of the land has now been incorporated into neighbouring farms, leaving two hectares. The house was built in the mid 1860s, with an addition in 1900. It was occupied for most of its history by the Daysh family, after whom the property has now been named.
The Barn
THE DAYSH FAMILY
The Daysh family in the Wairarapa is descended from John Ings Daysh (1805-1902) of Wickham, Fareham, Hampshire. John Ings married Eliza Clark at St Nicholas Church in Wickham in 1832 and came to New Zealand on the ship "Gertrude" of 560 tons in 1841. They left Gravesend on June 19, arriving at Petone on October 28. They brought with them six children and a further eight were born in the Hutt. There are many stories of John Ings making long arduous walks over the Rimutaka range to see his many children who had settled in the Wairarapa. He is buried in the Masterton cemetery alongside his daughter Elizabeth (Betsy) and her husband, John Rayner. The fourth youngest son of John Ings was Alfred who was born at Taita in 1854. He came to the Wairarapa in 1870 and acquired 130 acres of land at Taratahi West in 1872. Alfred married Elizabeth Ann Sage in 1876 and came to live in the house built by Ann's father.
Alfred Daysh and family in front of the house, c.1900
Left to right: Alfred, Victor, Elizabeth, Gladys (Queenie), Myrtle, Jock, Lovell, Charlie, Eva, Lou Sage (sister of Elizabeth)
TREES
In pre-european times, the land was covered in Podocarpus Totara forest..There are a number of totara trees on our property and seedling totaras appear constantly in the garden. The totara in the photograph below is several hundred years old and looks over the north-east corner of the garden.
Totara is found mostly in lowland forest on fertile alluvial, well-drained soils. Totara grows up to 30 m. tall with a trunk up to 2 m. in diameter. The wood of totara is easily worked and resistant to decay. The fence in the photograph to the left is made of split totara and is still in place today as can be seen in the photograph top far left.
WAIRARAPA HERITAGE
We are a member of the Wairarapa Heritage Association.
http://www.wairarapaheritageattractions.org.nz
(currently under construction)
The Association's brochure Wairarapa Heritage Attractions is available from I-Sites.
During the months of September, October and November 2007, the property participated in the Heritage Gardens Spring Festival organised by the Heritage Promotion Council, Wellington region.
http://www.wellingtonheritagepromotions.org.nz/
JUNE 2010
HERITAGE & OUR ENVIRONMENT
HERITAGE PROMOTION COUNCIL
WELLINGTON REGION
The Trees We Inherit and Nurture
Daysh House Garden includes examples of native trees like the ancient totara above which overlooks the garden, and introduced trees like the ginkgo biloba (left hand column) planted by Agnes Daysh in the mid 1920s. Native and introduced trees continue to be planted at Daysh House Garden which was open for viewing by appointment during Heritage Month, June 2010.
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