Kemp House, New Zealand's oldest building and first substantial European home, was built against a backdrop of turbulence and war in 1822. Its simple presence evokes the endurance and hopes of the missionaries who built it, and the hard work of the families - both Maori and European - who lived there.
The house witnessed the departure and return of newly armed Ngapuhi war partines in the 1820s whose devastating raids on other tribes changed the course of New Zealand history. It is a treasure trove of furniture and personal items owned by the missionary families and Maori who lived with them. The surrounding garden recalls the mission period.