Mathew & Sarah Stokes, current owners of Asher house, present to you a history of this grand old house. The House has accumulated many names over time, but we chose 'Asher House' out of respect for the original owners who had the vision to design and build this timeless mansion. We also wish to acknowledge the community members of Balfour for sharing with us the following history, especially Rosalie McLean.
Built in 1929 for Mr. Albert Daniel Asher, as a family home in Balfour, Northern Southland, New Zealand. The house was built on a one-acre section and a beautiful garden was laid out with sunken Rose beds and a Rhododendron dell. The House was named Langholm. We find it quite astonishing that such a grand home was built during the depression when times would have been tough for the average New Zealander, maybe that it why the house took a long time to complete.
This triple storey, double red brick house, was built by a local builder named Bill Sheed (jnr). Mr Bob Dale (a local man), reported to us that the house took four years to complete. Bob was a young 10 year old who would walk past the house on his way to school each day, so had ample opportunity to follow the building progress. Bob told us that building was finished in 1934. The Asher Family lived in the home till 1946.
✠ Ensign (local newspaper) - "Tenders invited for installing electricity in my house at Balfour of 10 rooms, together with basement and all necessary conveniences. Tenders close 11 January 1930. Mrs Helen Asher."
✠Local knowledge as documented by Rosalie Mclean - "Wattie Dwyer remembered the huge hole dug for the foundations. As a small boy living next door he was most interested in the work in progress but was told to keep away. It was really something to have such a big house being built in Balfour".
The house along with Section 14 was then sold to the Balfour RSA (Returned and Services' Association) on the 4th September 1946 . During the RSA occupation many happy social events took place, celebrations such as 21st birthdays, and meeting of various community groups.
A few changes where made by the RSA. The rhododendron dell was removed to make way for a bowling green. The well-matured rhododendrons were moved and transplanted at the Gore Race Course and can still be seen there today.
Structural changes to the house were also made during this time. Two upstairs bedrooms on the right side of the house were made into one large room for the billiard table and bar (Mr Pat Ryan now owns one of the Billiard tables and has restored it for his family to use). Some time later the two corresponding rooms on the ground floor were opened up into one big room, community members have told us that they remember this room being used for dances.
The house was a focal point for the community till 1977. Lumsden General Practitioners, Dr Olds & Dr Austin, used what is now our study/library as a consulting room, and our family sitting room was used as the public waiting room. There was a flat upstairs at the left for the RSA caretakers. Mr & Mrs Cryil Pearse and Les and Beulah Thompson were town caretakers. Mr and Mrs Frank Ford also lived there when Frank was the Railway Stationmaster. Bob Shuttleworth (a Blacksmith) rented a small room off the sitting room (was the library in the Asher's time and is now Sarah's sewing/craft room).
The house was put up for tender & sold for $15,000.00 to Mr. Douglas Somers-Edgar (son of Ralph & Jean Edgar, then owners of Balfour Motors) in 1977. Luckily a tender of $12,000.00 by Mr John Turner was unsuccessful, as by John's own admission he planned to demolish the house and sell off the bricks and slate.
Mr. Somers-Edgar modernized the Kitchen but left of the structure original. Ten years later Mr. Somers Edgar sold the House to Mrs. Diane Durban in 1987.
Mrs. Durban started to restore the ground floor rooms by returning the wall in the down stairs lounge & study (formerly the dance hall). The house was then sold to Mr. P & Mrs. U Palo.
Mr. & Mrs. Palo used to visit regularly from the home from Finland, they were keen fishermen. The House was then re-named Villa Palo. Mr. & Mrs. Palo started to restore the plaster ceilings, and painted and wallpapered some rooms. Unfortunately Mr. Palo died in 1997 when he suffered heart attack. Mrs. Palo returned to Finland and sold the House to Mr. Hirvonen, the Palo's family Lawyer.
The Hirvonen Family visited from Finland on occasions, and their young daughter Ella used to attend the local Balfour school. Ella was good friends with Tegan Lee, who is also a good friend of our daughter, Megan. In (get date) when the Hirvonen family were home in Finland, Villa Palo was burgled and ransacked. The case of the burglar's identity has never been solved. After the burglary the Hirvonen family never returned to New Zealand. The house started to look more and more derelict and the garden and trees became overgrown and unkempt. Every time Sarah visited friends, the Lee family across the road, she would comment about how she would love to own Villa Palo. The house was reminiscent to the Stokes' family of some British brick built grand houses with Welsh slate on the roof. We tracked the Hirvonen family down with the help of Mrs. Ellen Lush from Balfour & Mrs. Ulla Palo. The Hirvonen family agreed to sell the house to us and we have owned Asher House since the 11th November 2005.
Memories of Asher House from the community:
✠ Mrs Asher on a couch in the living room which had ornate bracket wall lights with matching chandelier
✠ Tiled bathrooms with sunken baths
✠ Laundry shutes for dropping washing to the basement
✠ A Norfolk pine in a huge pot at the stairway landing with it's branches spanning the large stained glass window