Windross House a heritage building with many lives

Windross House in Cockle Bay Reserve, is one of several heritage buildings in the property portfolio that Eke Panuku manages on behalf of Auckland Council. As custodians of these buildings, it is our responsibility to ensure they are well maintained for future generations of Aucklanders.

In addition to maintaining heritage buildings, we also manage commercial leases for them. This generates income for council, reducing the burden on ratepayers and ensuring council can fund its strategic priorities. This way, we can ensure these buildings are maintained, but also remain functional and relevant in their communities, while helping protect community services.

Auckland Council lists Windross House as a Category B historic heritage place, meaning it has considerable significance to a locality or greater geographic area. The building, a substantial one and a half storey gabled house built from kauri, is an early surviving house from the Victorian-Edwardian period. It has large 20-light sash windows (i.e. 20 panels of glass). Interestingly, the exteriors of Category B buildings are considered significant and should be protected, while the interior is not. 

Routine inspections of the property revealed that the exterior of the building was deteriorating, so to protect this heritage asset, we renewed several aspects. The work included replacing the deck, balustrade, a set of stairs up to the deck, a rotten window and repainting the entire exterior, using paint colours approved by Auckland Council’s heritage unit to preserve its exterior appearance. 

Windross House has been part of the fabric of the Howick area for over 130 years. Originally located on Cook Street, it was built for Reverend Robert Gooddine Boler (1850 - 1913), the vicar of All Saints Church in the late 1880s/early 1890s. He built it as an investment property to supplement his income from the church. 

A succession of people lived in the house until 1941, when it was bought by the Windross family, who named it Ōwhanga , meaning nest, and lived there for 23 years. The Windross family were active members of the Presbyterian church and were known to organise garden parties and youth activities at their home for the church community. 

In 1964, the Church of England purchased the building. It was tenanted for the next five years, until 1969 when Howick Borough Council bought it. The council renovated and altered the building to accommodate staff. It was used as council offices until May 1979, when the council outgrew the premises and moved out. The decision was then made to relocate the building to its current location at Cockle Bay Reserve and convert it to tearooms.

A heritage building with many lives, today it is the home of Windross House Restaurant. With a tranquil beachfront reserve setting, it offers a stunning location for weddings and events.