Make your own way to the Olveston Historic Home, located just a few minutes drive from the center of Dunedin. Meet your guide at the reception area to begin your 1-hour tour of the historic house.
Designed by an acclaimed English architect, Sir Ernest George, the elegant 35-room mansion was completed in 1906. Its original decor has been maintained and restored, providing visitors with a glimpse into the life of a wealthy family in the early 20th century.
As you walk through the rooms of the home, your guide explains the details of the furniture, art and decorative pieces that are displayed throughout the house. David Theomin, the original owner, traveled extensively and collected art, ceramics and furniture from around the world. Among the works he collected are significant Japanese works, paintings by 15th-century Italian painter Fra Filippo Lippi, and pieces by New Zealand artists Alfred Henry O’Keeffe, WM Hodgkins and Frances Hodgkins.
You’ll also hear about the family’s contributions to civic life in Dunedin and the later years of the last member of the family, who left the house to the city of Dunedin in her will.
After seeing the interior of the home during the 1-hour tour, feel free to explore on your own in the lovely gardens that surround the house. Before you go, be sure to check out the restored Fiat 510 Tourer car that Mr. Theomin purchased in 1922.