27 Apr 2016

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Coffee and cake will be back on the menu at the historic Mona Vale homestead this summer, with the building restoration entering the final stages.

Structural strengthening is almost complete, with the final electrical and plumbing work now underway ahead of a fit out for the former café and restaurant.

Christchurch City Council Heritage Rebuild Manager Richie Moyle said the $2.8 million Mona Vale restoration was on-time and on-budget.

"This building suffered significant damage in the February 2011 earthquake, mainly due to the brick construction. But the work to repair it is nearly complete and it is looking great.

"We will be handing the building back to the tenant – Continental Catering– for their fit out and they expect to be open by September/October. They are already taking wedding bookings for this summer,” Mr Moyle said.

The building had undergone a complex and intricate restoration over the last 15 months, with substantial parts of the masonry and heritage fabric being carefully deconstructed and reconstructed, Mr Moyle said.

"In terms of a restoring this building, it has been challenging. Every brick here was cut specifically to fit, so every external facing brick that could be reused has been individually numbered and placed on a pellet as we deconstructed each section. In some parts we’ve had to rebuild it by interpretation because there was just nothing left.

“Heritage wise, it will be exactly as you remember it, but in terms of a venue, it will be amazing. It has all new plumbing, electrics, heating. Everything has been upgraded," Mr Moyle said. “It will be a great place to come for your coffee again and it is wonderful for the city to have another of our tourist assets back in action."

New carpets, curtains, and furnishings had been chosen for the fit-out in consultation with heritage experts.

On completion, the building will reach 67 per cent of New Building Standard.

Mona Vale, formerly known as Karewa, was built in 1897 for Frederick Waymouth. In 1905 heiress Annie Townend purchased the property and renamed it "Mona Vale" after her mother's birthplace in Tasmania. The homestead passed into public ownership in the 1960s, and is one of the major tourist attractions of Christchurch.

Find out more about Mona Vale Homestead.