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When Riverlea House was built in 1875, the property covered most of what is now the suburb of Hillcrest. The two-storeyed homestead, built of kauri with a shingle roof, was a striking feature of the 121- hectare farm, which stretched along the banks of the Waikato River.
The house was built by Captain James McPherson, who arrived in New Zealand with the 70th Surrey Regiment in 1861 and later commanded the 4th Waikato Militia Regiment. After he settled in Hamilton, McPherson entered national and local body politics and, in 1871, became the first MP for the Waikato electorate. At Riverlea, he farmed and operated a flax mill on the river, making apple wine in his spare time. McPherson is thought to have sold the house in the early 1880s but details are sketchy because the records were destroyed by fire. Joseph Cochrane owned the property between 1883 and 1887 and bred horses and pheasants. The next owner was Harold Bullock Webster, a prominent Hamiltonian who had previously owned Lake House on the west side of the river. Bullock Webster was a literary man and an artist. During restoration work on Riverlea House in the 1970s, some of his early paintings were discovered and are now on display. He was also a keen horseman and the Waikato Hunt Club, which he founded, regularly met on the large lawn in front of the house. Bullock Webster extended the house by adding north and south wings, converting it from a homestead to a 'gentleman's residence'. He died in 1905.
In the 1920s, Riverlea became home to two families and the wives ran Hamilton Tea Gardens from the lounge. Guests would travel up river by paddle steamer. The rural property was almost halved during this period but it was still substantial. The front gate stood where New World Supermarket is now sited on Cambridge Road.
By 1972, when Russell and Joy Hay bought the property, the estate had again been significantly reduced and the house was in a rundown state, the white weatherboards covered in green mould. The couple set about the task of restoration, finishing two decades later. The Hays installed modern plumbing and insulation and renovated the service areas. A staircase was bought from a Te Aroha convent and the upstairs area was transformed into two bedrooms and a study. In an interview in 1997, Russell Hay said he and his wife worked on the renovations every night until about 2.30am 'literally for years.'
The house changed hands twice after they sold it and was then bought by John and Lisa O'Donoghue who have continued to maintain the property and the garden. One remaining feature of the original garden is a palm tree reputed to have been transported from the Suez Canal when it was opened in 1869.
Writer: Rebecca McLean
Photographer: Katrina Bieleski  | 
