DCC grants consent for Cargill’s Castle development
CARGILL’S Castle is about to become a hive of activity for the first time in nearly half a century.
The Dunedin City Council has just granted building consent to the Cargill’s Castle Trust, to begin stage one of a development that will eventually turn the historic building into a major tourist attraction.
Trust chairman Steven De
Graaf was delighted with the approval, which meant steel bands (plates) could be placed around the top of the walls to stabilise and strengthen the building, before going on to stage two which included creating floors, stairways and viewing platforms and filling in cracks in the walls.
The project was expected to cost up to $2 million, he said.
‘‘We’re planning to have a metal walkway in the building, and stairs which you can walk up so you can see the views over the city and down the coast.’’
Work on stage one would begin later this year.
‘‘For a long time, we’ve been treading water and waiting for things to open up again after the Covid19 pandemic.
‘‘The project is finally starting to go places.’’
The Italianate mansion was built for Edward Cargill, designed by Francis Petre and built by Harry Lyders. It was completed in 1877.
Fire gutted the building in 1892, but it was restored by Cargill and had several owners after that.
It was vacated by its last owner in 1973 and now lies in ruins.
A major fundraising campaign for the project would continue this weekend with a heritage homes tour on Sunday, Mr De Graaf said.
The selfdrive tour would visit nine buildings, including the Dunedin Museum of Natural
Mystery, Lisburn House, ‘‘Kawarau’’ in Highgate and a commercial building in Princes St that had been repurposed as apartments.
‘‘It’s great to see what some people are doing to save our heritage buildings.
‘‘Also, for something different, there is a modern awardwinning house at Ocean View with spectacular views.’’