Larnach Castle
Encyclopedia
Mansion
A mansion is a very large dwelling house. U.S. real estate brokers define a mansion as a dwelling of over . A traditional European mansion was defined as a house which contained a ballroom and tens of bedrooms...
on the ridge
Ridge
A ridge is a geological feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for some distance. Ridges are usually termed hills or mountains as well, depending on size. There are several main types of ridges:...
of the Otago Peninsula
Otago Peninsula
The Otago Peninsula is a long, hilly indented finger of land that forms the easternmost part of Dunedin, New Zealand. Volcanic in origin, it forms one wall of the eroded valley that now forms Otago Harbour. The peninsula lies south-east of Otago Harbour and runs parallel to the mainland for...
within the limits of the city
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
of Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, close to the small settlement of Pukehiki
Pukehiki
Pukehiki is a small locality on Otago Peninsula, within the city of Dunedin in the South Island of New Zealand. It is located on the ridge which runs along the centre of the peninsula, from Dunedin city centre, at a junction between Highcliff Road, which runs along the peninsula's ridge, and...
. It is one of a few houses of this scale in New Zealand.
The house and its grounds are regularly open to the public.
The Larnach Castle gardens are one of only five gardens nationwide to have been given the rating of "garden of international significance" by the New Zealand Gardens Trust. They were the first gardens in the South Island to be given this award; the only other garden in the South Island with this ranking is also in Dunedin - Dunedin Botanic Gardens
Dunedin Botanic Gardens
The Dunedin Botanical Gardens are located at the northern end of central Dunedin, in the South Island of New Zealand. They are located close to the University of Otago and one of the city's most historic cemeteries, the Northern Cemetery, on a spur of Signal Hill and on the river plain immediately...
.
19th century
It was built between 1873 and 1887 as the residence of William LarnachWilliam Larnach
William James Mudie Larnach was a New Zealand businessman and politician. He is known for building Larnach Castle and for his suicide.- Early career :Larnach was born in the Hunter Valley, north of Sydney, Australia...
, a prominent entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in colonial New Zealand. Much of the construction was carried out under the guidance of the architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
R.A. Lawson
Robert Lawson (architect)
Robert Arthur Lawson was one of New Zealand's pre-eminent 19th century architects. It has been said he did more than any other designer to shape the face of the Victorian era architecture of the city of Dunedin...
, who was also responsible for many other building
Building
In architecture, construction, engineering, real estate development and technology the word building may refer to one of the following:...
s in Dunedin. The finished house contained 43 rooms and a ballroom, and required a staff of 46 servants. The ballroom was built as a 21st birthday present for Larnach's favourite daughter Kate in 1887.
The building, which Larnach himself simply called "The Camp," did not ensure his happiness. After a series of personal and financial setbacks he committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in New Zealand's Parliament Buildings in October 1898.
20th century
After many years in which the place fell into disrepair, it was bought by Barry and Margaret Barker in 1967, and has been restored. It affords spectacular views of the Otago Peninsula and HarbourOtago Harbour
Otago Harbour is the natural harbour of Dunedin, New Zealand, consisting of a long, much-indented stretch of generally navigable water separating the Otago Peninsula from the mainland. They join at its southwest end, from the harbour mouth...
and is 10 kilometres by road from the city centre.
In 1985, it was used as a location for filming of TVNZ Dunedin production "Hanlon".
In 1985, it was used in the introductory scenes in the US-New Zealand film co-production, Shaker Run. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090006/locations
In 1994, a play about the Larnach family tragedies, titled "Larnach - Castle of Lies", was once performed by Dunedin's Fortune Theatre before 100 invited guests in the castle ballroom.
"It was a night to remember. As the guests arrived a terrible storm blew up from nowhere. The smoke from the fires blew back down the chimneys so that you couldn't see - and your eyes hurt. Hail crashed on the iron roof so that you couldn't hear. Doors mysteriously opened by themselves and it got very cold. In the play - just as Larnach shot himself there was a blinding white light. Afterwards at supper people were talking about the lightning strike as Larnach held the gun to his head. I said `Oh no that was stage effects.' We asked the stage manager. He said `It was none of our doing, it was lightning.' I think that Larnach was present that night. He didn't like the play."
-- Margeret Barker (Co-owner)
21st century
In modern times, Larnach Castle has received additional notoriety as a reportedly haunted location. The building has been visited by paranormal investigators and featured on local New Zealand television shows such as Ghost Hunt and Spookers as well as international television shows such as the American Ghost Hunters InternationalGhost Hunters International
Ghost Hunters International is a spin-off series of Ghost Hunters that airs on Syfy. The series premiered on January 9, 2008...
.
According to an article in the New Zealand Herald, as of November 2008, there had been close to 30 reported sightings of "cranky spirits", "touches", "pushing" and other "odd occurrences" at the castle.
There have also been reports of mysterious opening and closing of doors in the castle during the night. Hotel workers have claimed hearing footsteps late at night. A clairvoyant once told the owners that the "presence is very unhappy".