Story: Domestic architecture

McLean's Mansion, Christchurch

McLean's Mansion, Christchurch

McLean's Mansion (originally called Holly Lea) was built for Allan McLean and completed in 1900. McLean built the house following the compulsory acquisition of his pastoral estate under the Liberal government's closer settlement scheme. Designed by Christchurch architect Robert England in the Jacobean style, the house featured twin towers and a Flemish-like pediment. Its main attribute was its size – boasting 53 rooms, it was reportedly the largest wooden house in Australasia. After McLean's death it was used as an old people's home, then a dental nurses' hostel and a training centre. It was damaged in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, but the work of the McLean's Mansion Charitable Trust ensured it was restored and it reopened in 2019. 

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Christchurch City Libraries
Reference: CCL Photo Collection 22, Img02343

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How to cite this page:

Julia Gatley, 'Domestic architecture - 19th-century domestic architecture', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/45059/mcleans-mansion-christchurch (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Julia Gatley, published 22 Oct 2014