Dating from about 1859, this simple one-roomed house at Carterton in the Wairarapa is made of tōtara. It is a typical colonial dwelling known as a slab whare (whare is the Māori word for house). It was built by 14-year-old Richard (Dickey) Sayer, who was then making a living as a hunter. It consists of slabs split from a log of tōtara and nailed to a frame. Inside, battens have been nailed across the joins to make the structure weatherproof. The slab whare was popular with settlers because it could be built quickly and economically, using trees from the surrounding land.