Gill House. Cr George and Warrender Sts. 1905. Photograph courtesy of Christopher D K Baughen
Gill house is Hooper’s first entirely new design commission after his return from England, though it is not his first commission. Gill house follows two alteration jobs, one in Kenmure Road in Morrnington and a second the extensive Aotea Street(detailed below). Gill house was described as a ‘modern villa’ and has many later Hooper hallmarks including the offset bay window and side entrance. The house is in good condition and is currently used as a student rental.
Murray House, Chambers Street, 1905.
Photograph courtesy of Christopher D K Baughen
Tendered on 11th August 1905, Murray House is a single storey timber framed residence with a corrugated iron roof. The building was Hooper’s second complete house, commissioned for Mrs Louisa Anne Murray and today serves as a rental property.
Statham House, Williams St, 1905.
Photograph courtesy of Ralph Allen
Commissioned for Mr Charles Ernest Statham, Hooper was allowed more freedom with his second design. The two storey weatherboard house bears almost no resemblance to the traditional bay villa, though as with Gill House it has been described as a ‘modern villa’. Cosmetic changes to the gable apices are the most noticeable exterior departures from the original design.
Fulton House alteration, Pitt Street, 1905
In 1905 Hooper completed alterations for Dr Robert Valpy Fulton on his Pitt Street home. Since then the building has been removed and replaced with another not in the Arts and Crafts style.
Click for Ground Floor Plan Click for First Floor Plan
House, Client Not Known, Aotea St. 1905.
When is a remodelling not a new design? There is some discussion surrounding the origin of this commission. The dates range from 1907 as the design was published in Progress, a contemporary design publication, captioned ‘A pretty Dunedin Home’ and a tender notice in the Otago Daily Times from 1905 suggesting a commission for extensive alterations and additions to an existing house.
Warden’s House, Selwyn College. 1905.
Photograph courtesy of Ralph Allen
Additions to the Warden’s house are all that are left of a commission Hooper undertook to add an upper floor to an existing pair of Victorian semi-detached houses. The houses, which were situated next door to All Saints Church have since disappeared, leaving only this remnant. The typically Hooper bay window of the extended south wing are the only feature left to denote Hooper’s involvement. Additions to the Warden’s House are only one a a number of commissions that Hooper undertook for Selwyn College. Others included Tennis and Fives Courts in 1907 and a new Dining Hall in 1908.
Workers’ Dwelling, Rosebery Street, 1906.
Photograph courtesy of Ralph Allen
Commissioned in 1905 and built in 1906, Hooper’s designs for the Workers’ Dwelling Act houses in the Windle Settlement in Rosebery St and Newport St were part of a New Zealand Government initiative to improve the health and well-being of working families. Of the three designs he submitted only one, the “No 2” was built. The building pictured is one of four houses constructed in two mirror pairs. All four buildings still stand and with some alterations continue to be comfortable family homes. They have the odd feature of an external door opening off the bathroom. Michael Findlay is a bit obsessed with this so if you know of any houses that share this unusual planning, please get in touch.
Campbell House, Allandale Road, 1906.
The now demolished Campbell House, commissioned by Mr Herbert Cecil Campbell, was advertised for tender on 31st March 1906. Hooper contributed designs for additions and alterations to the existing single storey, timber exterior and timber window framed residence. The completed building was Hooper’s first commission on Allandale Road and it is believed stood where the parking lot behind the shops on Forbury Road are now.
Rattray Country House, Jones Street, Waikouaiti, 1906.
Image from Google Street View, accessed Sept 2015.
More commonly known as ‘Seta Cottage’ the residence on Jones St was commissioned by Mr Charles William Rattray and advertised for tender on 8 August 1906. The residence consists of two storeys with timber exterior, corrugated iron roof and timber window frames. The building is still standing and today still serves as a private dwelling.
Kerr House, London Street, 1906.
Photograph courtesy of Christopher D K Baughen
On October 1st 1906 Hooper called for tenders on an extensive alteration and renovation commission for an existing property on London Street. The commission was placed by a Mrs C. W. Kerr and though the building is little known as a Hooper House the two storey timber residence contains many classic Hooper elements.
Irwin House, Cargill Street, 1907.
Photograph courtesy of Ralph Allen
Irwin House established many Hooper hallmarks. The house today is not as Hooper designed it but as altered by Salmond and Vanes in the 1920’s. Hooper’s ‘purely Arts and Crafts house’ boasts a 2:4 bay window running almost the full width of the front drawing room (altered from 2:3 on the plans), six paned upper storey casements, contrasting cladding on the gable apices and a pair of bay windows arranged diagonally across the outer corner of the dining room. The residence now stands a little worse for wear but with refurbishment could easily stand another ninety years.
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Frank H. Statham House, Kiwi Street, St Leonards, 1907. Image courtesy of Ralph Allen.
The house was built for Frank Hadfield Statham, second son of Charles Hadfield Statham, for whom Hooper designed a house in Alva Street in 1917, and younger brother of Charles Ernest Statham, for whom Hooper designed a house in William Street in 1905.
Frank Statham was a borough councillor and a Major in the 10th (North Otago) Company of the Otago Battalion, NZ Infantry Regiment. Both he and his younger brother, Corporal Clive Heathcote Falk Statham were killed at Chunuk Bair on at Chunuck Bair on 8 August 1915.
Mrs Statham and their two children lived in the house until the mid 1920’s.
Unknown House, King Edward Street, 1907.
Hooper undertook the King Edward Street house project in 1907 advertising for tenders 29th of June that year. The project commissioned by the Christian Brethren involved not only renovation of the cottage but also relocation and rotation of the house on Glasgow Street which Hooper managed. The house was originally located where the Gospel Hall is now and was moved to make way for it.
Israel House, Royal Crescent, St Kilda, 1907.
This was one of a number of Hooper’s projects illustrated in the journal Progress. At the time it was photographed, the house was less than a year old, having been built during 1907. The survey plans for the subdivision were deposited on 7 September 1906 and the property was bought by Mrs Jane Alexander Israel on 10 December 1906. Mrs Israel was the wife of George Cashmore Israel, a banker, and prominent supporter of education and music in Dunedin. Mrs Israel died in May 1910, and Mr Israel in January 1916, but the house continued to be a home for several of their children until 1961, when the property was subdivided into the current allotments and sold. The house was most likely demolished at this time.
Hay House, Dowling Street, 1907. Image courtesy of Ralph Allen.
In 1907 Hooper supervised a house for C. W. Hay esquire, the above image is the rendering of the street elevation produced by Newton Vanes for Hooper. Vanes was a friend and appears to have done occasional work for Hooper before he went into partnership with J L Salmond. The house once stood on Tennyson Street (upper Dowling Street) until it was demolished to make way for Skeggs House, opposite Otago Girls High School.
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Fisher House, Melville Street, 1908.
Photograph courtesy of Ralph Allen
The picturesque brick and roughcast Fisher House has all the components of a grand mansion, but on a smaller scale. Marseilles-tilled roofs, gables, hips, dormers and bays, massive chimneys, and different styles of windows for each of its three storeys are complemented by the sympathetic interior details.
Williams House, High Street, 1908.
Photograph courtesy of Christopher D K Baughen
The Williams house, designed and supervised for Dr E. W. Williams, is predominantly roughcast with exposed brickwork only below the ground floor window sills. The street frontage, which is much obscured by large trees resembles Gill House although less elaborate. The ground and first floor casements are surmounted by Hooper’s first use of his plaster ‘eyebrows’ motif. Hooper designed a garage for the property with matching eyebrow above the door in 1914 (see below).
Allen House, Castle Street, 1908.
Photograph courtesy of Ralph Allen
Allen house, a compact brick and Marseilles-tiled construction in Castle Street, is now a student flat though looking more tired than Gill house. The house is squeezed between two earlier modest cottages which resulted in an interesting internal split staircase. This means there are two short landings for the three bedrooms and bathroom on the upper floor. The main windows are worth noting for the recessed arches that surmount them, a feature Hooper used sparingly in domestic designs. The unadorned brick walls are in the manner of Beresford Pite who advocated for functionality in architecture.
Dick House, Allandale Road, 1909.
Photograph courtesy of Ralph Allen
Dick House is one of Hooper’s most elaborately decorated designs. The tall roughcast chimneys topped with alternating layers of contrasting brick are notable. The Marseilles tiled hipped roof, flat dormers on three sides of the roof, straight brackets with curled lower ends to support the gutters and semi-circular arches that surmount the ground floor and headlight casement windows all add to the complexity of the design. Dick house had no provision for a maid’s room unlike most of Hooper’s earlier designs, reflecting the social changes that marked the era.
Click for Ground Floor Plan Click for Roof Plan
‘Harptree’ Hooper House, Wallace Street, 1909.
Photograph courtesy of Ralph Allen
Hooper was responsible for the building itself and also all of the furniture for his own home in Wallace Street although sadly none of the furniture remains. The building is named ‘Harptree’ after the village and house in Somerset where Hooper’s father was born. The house contains many of the features Hooper used in Arts and Crafts grand architecture, but on a small scale. The image above depicts ‘Harptree’ as it is today after additions were built after the Hooper family left.
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Ritchie House, George Street, 1909.
Photograph courtesy of Ralph Allen
Hooper’s Arts and Crafts additions to this grand Victorian villa sit rather oddly at the southern end. Now a large Chinese restaurant, Hooper’s additions are partly obscured by a large roofed gateway of oriental character. Hooper’s additions comprised a dining room, smoking room and kitchen on the ground floor, and a bedroom, day nursery and maid’s bedroom on the first floor.
Marion Scott House, Heriot Row, 1910.
Photograph courtesy of Ralph Allen
Marion Scott House until recently was believed to be and referred to as Grindley House. It is believed Grindley House also sits on Heriot Row a few houses away, though there is still great discussion around the two houses. Marion Scott House appears outwardly plain, making a feature of its brickwork but lacking such elements as bell eaves and gutter brackets. The first storey window consists of simple glass casements, in the 2:3 proportions favoured by Hooper. It sits below street level and is generally ill sited though Hooper has made the most of the elevated section including a prominent three-sided balcony that overlooks the city.
Hooper not only designed and supervised building projects. In 1909 Hooper was commissioned to oversee the purchase and removal of two old cottages on High Street.
Levy House, Bellona Street, 1910.
In 1910 Hooper completed a house for Samuel Levy. Levy house has since been removed and its plans have not yet been found. If you hold any plans or contemporary photographs of Levy don’t hesitate to contact us here.
Smith House alterations, George Street, 1910
Records are incomplete though it is known that in 1910 Hooper worked on alterations to a house in George Street for a Mr Nathaniel Smith. As with Levy and Wren Houses any information would be appreciated.
Wren House, Eglinton Road, 1910.
As with Levy House, Wren House was built in 1910 and has since been demolished. Little information remains regarding the building and again any images, plans or information would be appreciated.
Barnett House, Stafford Street, 1910.
Photograph courtesy of Ralph Allen
Hooper was commissioned to alter Dr Louis Barnett’s large Stafford Street home. Hooper’s intention to ‘modernise’ and transform the ‘old-fashioned’ house into an ‘up-to-date residence’ as reported in Progress was a mixed success. The Arts and Crafts modifications sit awkwardly on what appears to be a plain ‘gable and return gable’ two-storey villa.
Lello House, Melrose Street, 1910.
Photograph from Apple Maps sourced 5/11/2015
In 1910 Hooper designed this Melrose Street residence for Madame Kezia Lello, a milliner recently arrived in Dunedin from Australia. The building was tendered on 30th April 1910 and estimated to cost £600 at the time of construction.
Oamaru
Douglas House, Reed Street, 1910.
Photograph courtesy of Christopher D K Baughen
The English Cottage style was popular in America as well and the Douglas House was designed in the ‘modern American style’ for Hooper’s client Dr Douglas. The residence shares many of Hooper’s hallmarks, including ‘eyebrows’ above the wide casement windows. Hooper used Moeraki gravel for the roughcasting which resulted in a softer effect than the more angular gravel and sand of Hooper’s Dunedin roughcast houses. The unusual corner buttresses would appear again on the Ritchie House (1914)
Vennall House, Wharfe Street, 1910.
Photograph courtesy of Ralph Allen
Vennall house is almost identical to the Waddell-Smith House in Dunedin, in both floor plans and elevations. A flat roofed second storey has been added on the western end, where casement windows that blend with the original house have been added to soften the addition.
Otago Country Districts
Kingan House, Maungawera, 1910.
Photograph courtesy of Ralph Allen
Much speculation surrounds the origins of this house, both within the family that currently own it and in publications about historic homes. Lois Galer (NZHPT) was told Mr Kingan travelled as far as his homeland of Scotland for specifications and even stonemasons to build this home. The roughcast and stone used lend weight to the Scottish tale though the design features echo those of many of Hooper’s Dunedin designs.
Laurel Bank Boarding House, originally Corner of Frankton Road and Stanley Street, Queenstown, 1910.
On 13th May 1910 Hooper advertised in the Otago Daily Times for tenders to complete additions to Mrs BOYES’ BOARDINGHOUSE which is now better known as Laurel Bank Boarding House. The boarding house was originally constructed in 1891 by Mr Duncan Brown, for Mary Boyd Boyes. The building served as a boarding house until the 1940s. By the 1980s the buildings was used as hotel staff accommodation and was converted into four large rental properties. In 2003 the buildings future began to look dark as it was boarded up and demolition was possible. In 2007 Laurel Bank was purchased and moved into rural Queenstown, where it is currently being restored to its former glory.
Hooper's World 
Loved looking at these grand old houses, they don’t build them like they used too.
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Michael,
I have some additional information about the house at Kiwi Street, St Leonards which may be of interest.
The house was built for Frank Hadfield Statham, second son of Charles Hadfield Statham, for whom Hooper designed a house in Alva Street in 1917, and younger brother of Charles Ernest Statham, for whom Hooper designed a house in William Street in 1905.
Frank Statham was a borough councillor and a Major in the 10th (North Otago) Company of the Otago Battalion, NZ Infantry Regiment. Both he and his younger brother, Corporal Clive Heathcote Falk Statham were killed at Chunuk Bair on 8 (Turkey)/9 (NZ) August 1915, one hundred and one years ago, this coming Tuesday.
Mrs Statham and their two children lived in the house until the mid 1920’s.
Chris Baughen.
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Michael,
I am pleased to be able to shed some light on the identity and location of the house designed by Hooper at St Kilda, which had its plan and photograph published in the October 1907 issue of Progress magazine. At the time of the photograph, the house was less than a year old, having been built during 1907. The survey plans for the subdivision were deposited on 7 September 1906 and the property was bought by Mrs Jane Alexander Israel on 10 December 1906. Mrs Israel was the wife of George Cashmore Israel, a banker, and prominent supporter of education and music in Dunedin. Mrs Israel died in May 1910, and Mr Israel in January 1916, but the house continued to be a home for several of their children until 1961, when the property was subdivided into the current allotments and sold. I suspect the house was demolished at this time.
My earlier research had suggested that the house may have been part of the St Kilda Bowling Club premises. This, of course, was not the case – but I was close. The property was located at what is now 25A and 27 Royal Crescent, with the house on 27 and the garden on 25A. The house was directly across Ravelston Street from the St Kilda Bowling Club, which explains the club sign visible in the photograph. At the time, the address was technically in Musselburgh rather than St Kilda.
Mrs Israel was also a daughter of Mr J W Jago, manager of the Evening Star newspaper, and sister-in-law of Mr James Waddell Smith for whom Hooper would design a house in Ings Avenue.
Chris Baughen.
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Good work Chris. I will amend the entry with this new information.
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