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Another Greymouth party house bites the dust, Puketahi St .
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DescriptionSteve Newby.."Another Greymouth party house bites the dust , Puketahi st ,early 1980`s.
Owned by the McDonnells, it was originally the Hannan (Hannan and Seddon) home. They had a special music room with a sprung floor up the top. Vera Hickman (nee Hannan), who owned the Pelican tearooms on Mawhera Quay in the 50's and 60s, and was the last surviving member of that generation, died the day the house burnt down.
Date of Photoearly 1980`sMap[1] External LinkrecollectrecollectContributorSteve Newby
Owned by the McDonnells, it was originally the Hannan (Hannan and Seddon) home. They had a special music room with a sprung floor up the top. Vera Hickman (nee Hannan), who owned the Pelican tearooms on Mawhera Quay in the 50's and 60s, and was the last surviving member of that generation, died the day the house burnt down.
Date of Photoearly 1980`sMap[1] External LinkrecollectrecollectContributorSteve Newby
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Location (city or town)GreymouthLandmark (Place)Puketahi stEventAnother Greymouth party house bites the dust , Pukatahi st . early 1980`s.Fire
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Category TagOld Houses
From Facebook
Date Created15th July 2020CommentsColleen Cochrane r Lovely old house Marie and Robert lived in that street
Anne Miller Mcmillan Remember visiting Karen Leckie there when she was first married .
Bull Haussmann Good times were had there
Rachael Smythe Lisa Sparks your old flat!
Bronwyn Evans-Thompson My old flat too. It was a very cool house.
Stephen Harris Lived in the flat top right
access of the hill with Rick and Neville Weaver
Great location
Looks like the source of the fire
Ricky Harris Stephen Harris that was 1979
Stuart McMillan Looks like it was a huge house
Paula McGeady We lived in one of those flats also
Shona Margaret Dixon Lived there when we got married lovely house
Stephen Harris What year did the movie Halloween come out looks like a scene
Maxine Cruickshank Justine Christopher Kate Christopher omg I remember going there to party on
Heather Newby how many bedrooms did it have?
Maxine Cruickshank Heather Newby can't remember sorry going back 34 years ago
Anita Lorraine Barltrop Maxine Cruickshank same
Nigel Collins Good times
Karen Blanchfield I always loved the white one shown in the photo too. Such a pity that so many interesting buildings around Greymouth didn’t last the distance, for a number of reasons.
Paddy Blanchfield Karen Blanchfield
The white one has survived
And is even more spectacular these days
Having been doubled in size in recent yrs
Karen Blanchfield Paddy Blanchfield would have great views out to Tasman?
Paddy Blanchfield Brilliant views best in town
It’s a credit to current owner whom has worked his magic
I looked at it when it came up for sale yrs ago ,but was to big of a project for me unfortunately
Heather Newby Karen Blanchfield thats what i reckon too
Janet Hogan Remember it well. My great aunties sold chickens and dafidills to the Hannahs. Had to use the back door / servants entrance. Top floor was sprung loaded for ball room dancing.
Noel Thomson it was pretty common knowledge who burnt it down.Become known as "little lucifer" after that!!
Paddy Blanchfield Lived in a rear flat for a short time near on forty yrs ago
Party central that’s for sure
Raeleen Smith Paddy Blanchfield we always ended up here after a “troppo day” around town with Shorty
Lisa Winter Is that the house the guy shot the cop car from?
Liz N Steve Packer Wasnt that shooting up Threadneedle Street? Could be wrong....memory not what it use to be!
Lisa Winter Liz N Steve Packer yep wasn’t sure if it was the right place or not
Anna Panther It was the builders wife who seen the potential - she just hired him to do the work
Helen Rozbicki Maunder I used to see the White House from my grandparents house in Leonard street and in my class room at St Patrick's. Great memories.
Clare McDonnell Hello Helen Rozbicki..I remember you! You actually came to one of my birthday parties...Always remember how fast a runner you were!.Hope all is well?
Helen Rozbicki Maunder Clare McDonnell Hi Clare yes all is well with me I now live in the Maruia Valley south of Murchison. I loved my running -and my horses and do western riding which I absolutely love. Where do you live now? Hope you are well too. - what was your Maiden name?
Tracy Piner Mahon I lived in the front flat for awhile in the eighties!
Clare McDonnell Our family home (McDonnell)
Diane Chesmar Does anyone know who owned the white art deco house above
Ron Kendrick Diane Chesmar Yip owned at one point by Tas & Pat Henry.
Alan Shirley Lived there in 1975.
Brian Beban The McDonnell house was the biggest in Greymouth and the grounds stretched down to Alexander St with magnificent oak and chestnut trees, fantastic gardens and paths like a park. Eddie McDonnell had a gardener, an Italian, Mr Zambezie, who I think was allowed to stay there in WW2 despite Italians being interred. Maurice McDonnell and I used to climb the fence and wander the grounds after school, looking for puffer mushrooms.
Maureen Sadler Started off our married life in the top floor flat Arr memories
Pauline Matene I lived there in 1970
Pauline Matene 32 Puketahi Street, my married life started there too
Damian's Hands as the story goes...i was conceived in that house
George Samuel did the house have a fire
Mary Keating Lived in a flat upstairs 1970's in that building, had a great view over the town. Think there were two flats downstairs and two upstairs
Anne Miller Mcmillan Remember visiting Karen Leckie there when she was first married .
Bull Haussmann Good times were had there
Rachael Smythe Lisa Sparks your old flat!
Bronwyn Evans-Thompson My old flat too. It was a very cool house.
Stephen Harris Lived in the flat top right
access of the hill with Rick and Neville Weaver
Great location
Looks like the source of the fire
Ricky Harris Stephen Harris that was 1979
Stuart McMillan Looks like it was a huge house
Paula McGeady We lived in one of those flats also
Shona Margaret Dixon Lived there when we got married lovely house
Stephen Harris What year did the movie Halloween come out looks like a scene
Maxine Cruickshank Justine Christopher Kate Christopher omg I remember going there to party on
Heather Newby how many bedrooms did it have?
Maxine Cruickshank Heather Newby can't remember sorry going back 34 years ago
Anita Lorraine Barltrop Maxine Cruickshank same
Nigel Collins Good times
Karen Blanchfield I always loved the white one shown in the photo too. Such a pity that so many interesting buildings around Greymouth didn’t last the distance, for a number of reasons.
Paddy Blanchfield Karen Blanchfield
The white one has survived
And is even more spectacular these days
Having been doubled in size in recent yrs
Karen Blanchfield Paddy Blanchfield would have great views out to Tasman?
Paddy Blanchfield Brilliant views best in town
It’s a credit to current owner whom has worked his magic
I looked at it when it came up for sale yrs ago ,but was to big of a project for me unfortunately
Heather Newby Karen Blanchfield thats what i reckon too
Janet Hogan Remember it well. My great aunties sold chickens and dafidills to the Hannahs. Had to use the back door / servants entrance. Top floor was sprung loaded for ball room dancing.
Noel Thomson it was pretty common knowledge who burnt it down.Become known as "little lucifer" after that!!
Paddy Blanchfield Lived in a rear flat for a short time near on forty yrs ago
Party central that’s for sure
Raeleen Smith Paddy Blanchfield we always ended up here after a “troppo day” around town with Shorty
Lisa Winter Is that the house the guy shot the cop car from?
Liz N Steve Packer Wasnt that shooting up Threadneedle Street? Could be wrong....memory not what it use to be!
Lisa Winter Liz N Steve Packer yep wasn’t sure if it was the right place or not
Anna Panther It was the builders wife who seen the potential - she just hired him to do the work
Helen Rozbicki Maunder I used to see the White House from my grandparents house in Leonard street and in my class room at St Patrick's. Great memories.
Clare McDonnell Hello Helen Rozbicki..I remember you! You actually came to one of my birthday parties...Always remember how fast a runner you were!.Hope all is well?
Helen Rozbicki Maunder Clare McDonnell Hi Clare yes all is well with me I now live in the Maruia Valley south of Murchison. I loved my running -and my horses and do western riding which I absolutely love. Where do you live now? Hope you are well too. - what was your Maiden name?
Tracy Piner Mahon I lived in the front flat for awhile in the eighties!
Clare McDonnell Our family home (McDonnell)
Diane Chesmar Does anyone know who owned the white art deco house above
Ron Kendrick Diane Chesmar Yip owned at one point by Tas & Pat Henry.
Alan Shirley Lived there in 1975.
Brian Beban The McDonnell house was the biggest in Greymouth and the grounds stretched down to Alexander St with magnificent oak and chestnut trees, fantastic gardens and paths like a park. Eddie McDonnell had a gardener, an Italian, Mr Zambezie, who I think was allowed to stay there in WW2 despite Italians being interred. Maurice McDonnell and I used to climb the fence and wander the grounds after school, looking for puffer mushrooms.
Maureen Sadler Started off our married life in the top floor flat Arr memories
Pauline Matene I lived there in 1970
Pauline Matene 32 Puketahi Street, my married life started there too
Damian's Hands as the story goes...i was conceived in that house
George Samuel did the house have a fire
Mary Keating Lived in a flat upstairs 1970's in that building, had a great view over the town. Think there were two flats downstairs and two upstairs
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West Coast New Zealand History (10th Jan 2023). Another Greymouth party house bites the dust, Puketahi St .. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 17th Apr 2026 21:28, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/28129