He was in the import business and his fortune came substantially from importing pianos which he distributed through a New Zealand-wide chain of shops, called The Dresden, and later the Bristol Piano Company. He and his daughter Dorothy were patrons especially of music and the visual arts.
He and his wife had a son and daughter who enjoyed hiking and mountain climbing. After her parents died, Dorothy continued living in the home until she died. She bequeathed the home and all its contents to the City of Dunedin. Everything in the home is as it was when the family lived there. There is even a 1921 automobile that has been restored and a Rolls Royce as well. We were not allowed to take pictures inside, so Nancy took pictures of the outside….especially the flowers, surprise, surprise!
Afterwards we picked Bill up and went to the beautiful Dunedin Train Station and enjoyed lunch at the Cobb and Co., a restaurant inside the station.
Diane, Nancy and I then drove to Larnach Castle, where we enjoyed a leisure tour through the castle. In 1870, William Larnach, an Australian banker was lured to Dunedin by the tide of wealth which followed the gold rush, and chose the site to build the castle. After his death, his children sold the property, which changed owners several times and was abandoned twice. In 1967 the Barker family purchased the castle and have been restoring it as well as the beautiful gardens.
On our way back home, it was such a beautiful ride.
We had the pleasure of meeting the Dore’s middle son, Malcolm, his wife Paula and their girls, Sarah and Kristin. They joined us for dinner and Sarah made a delicious dessert for us to enjoy. We had lots of laughs and exchanged many stories.
Now it is time to say goodnight again, so until tomorrow…..
nancybettyadventures 
Recent Comments