Katherine Mansfield - Wellington. New Zealand.
S 41° 16.205 E 174° 46.785
60G E 314031 N 5428883
The Katherine Mansfield Birthplace is the childhood home of one of the world's best-known short story writers and New Zealand's most famous author. Located in Thorndon on Tinakori Rd it is the setting for a few of her stories.
Waymark Code: WM7BFQ
Location: North Island, New Zealand
Date Posted: 10/01/2009
Views: 16
"How hard it is to escape from places" wrote Katherine Mansfield in 1922. "However carefully one goes they hold you ... you leave little bits of yourself fluttering on the fences ... little rags and shreds of your very life."
Kathleen Mansfield Beauchamp was born on 14 October 1888 at 11 (now 25) Tinakori Road, Thorndon, Wellington. Over the years, the outward appearance of the house has changed surprisingly little. It is still, as in her day, a square wooden structure with a painted corrugated-iron roof.
The house of her birth had newly been built for her parents, Annie and Harold Beauchamp. Harold Beauchamp was a clerk (later a partner) in the importing firm of Bannatyne and Co. Eventually he became chairman of the Bank of New Zealand and was knighted for his services to the business community.
Harold Beauchamp was rising thirty and advancing socially when he leased the land at no. 11 (now no. 25) Tinakori Road, Thorndon, from Sir Charles Clifford, who stipulated that a substantial house must be built there. Early in 1888 Harold and Annie Beauchamp moved into the new 209-square-metre, five-bedroomed house, with their daughters Vera and Charlotte, Annie's unmarried sisters Belle and Kitty, and her Australian mother Margaret Dyer. Kathleen (1888), Gwendoline (1890) and Jeanne (1892) were all born in the house where the family remained till 1893.
Harold Beauchamp moved his family to a more prestigious house in Karori in 1893 when Mansfield was five years old. Kathleen Beauchamp later became Katherine Mansfield the writer.
Katherine Mansfield is widely considered one of the best short story writers of her period. A number of her works, including "Miss Brill", "Prelude", "The Garden Party", "The Doll's House", and later works such as "The Fly", are frequently collected in short story anthologies.
Mansfield also proved to be a prolific writer in the final years of her life, and much of her prose and poetry remained unpublished at her death. Her husband, John Middleton Murry, took on the task of editing and publishing her works.
The garden's original perimeters and path were established during early excavations at the house. Original photographs, eye witness accounts, Mansfield's stories and letters, and garden historians have all helped identify the plants growing at the house during the 1880s and 1890s. The karaka trees, calendulas and arum lilies have constantly reseeded.
The Birthplace also includes a permanent exhibition on Mansfield's life, a collection of first editions of her stories, exhibitions outlining the restoration of the house, and an exclusive gift shop.
Access: The Katherine Mansfield Birthplace, Te Puakitanga
and its heritage garden are at 25 Tinakori Road, Thorndon, Wellington.
They are open to the public seven days a week from 10am to 4pm. Admission charged. Group concessions available. Members free.
Name of Famous Person: Katherine Mansfield.
Physical Address: 25 Tinakori Road, Thorndon, Wellington.
What is this person famous for?:
Katherine Mansfield was one of the world's best-known short story writers and New Zealand's most famous author.
Website verifying legitimacy of site: [Web Link]
Additional Website verifying Site legitimacy: [Web Link]
Personal Experience:
Early on a Sunday morning we found ourselves outside this house, quite be accident. We had parked the car to visit a nearby geocache.
It was quite exciting to find we had discovered this historic house of a famous New Zealander, and was a very interesting place to look around and the garden was lovely. We hope to return again.
Other information about area:
tour is around a 2 level build
|
Visit Instructions:
New logs must include information regarding the waymark. This can include photos, information about tours or even the confirmation that the waymark is still in existence.