Olveston Historic Home

24/07/2026

See you at The wedding Edit four properties one stand.

13/07/2026

Behind the scenes at Olveston...

The first stage of preparing for our electrical upgrade is now complete! Rooms have been carefully cleared, with collection items safely packed away and the remaining furniture and artworks covered and protected, ready for the electricians to get started.

As you can see from the photo, it's certainly a different look for one of our favourite rooms, the library, but it's all part of ensuring Olveston is well cared for for many years to come.

We're already looking forward to unpacking everything, giving the house a thorough spring clean that would get the approval of the Theomins’ head housekeeper back in the day, and welcoming visitors back when we reopen in October.

We will keep you updated as we go.

Olveston Historic Home is an authentic historic experience in the heart of Dunedin.

27/06/2026

One of the features of the Drawing Room is the bay window on the east wall. Before the trees matured, guests would have been afforded views to the harbour and Pacific Ocean and less picturesque, the views of the factories which help to provide the wealth of Dunedin.

The windows show four stained glass decals of famous English writers. We do not know if the Theomins specified these writers or if they just accepted what was given to them. The same thought applies to the painters featured on the south facing window. Both sets of windows were designed and made by Bryans and Webb, London.

The four decals of English writers also have an example of their work as well.

From the left, we start with Geoffrey Chaucer. Chaucer is hard to see as he is covered by a curtain. His verse is in Middle English of course.

It reads as follows:

“Suffice thee thy good, though it be small
For hoard hath hate, and
clymbyng fickleness.”

Next comes Edmund Spencer. Spencer has been misspelt and should read as Edmund Spenser.

His contribution is:

“Sleepe after toyle, porte after stormie seas,
Ease after warre, death after life
Doth greatly please.”

Number three is our great friend William Shakespeare.

Shakespeare’s advice is:

“This above all; to thine own self be true,
And it must follow as the night the day,
Thou can’st not then be false to any man.”

The final author is Alfred, Lord Tennyson, who also has his name shown incorrectly. It is shown as just Lord Tennyson.

Tennyson’s advice is as follows:

“Our wills are ours, we know not how,
Our wills are ours, to make them thine.”

The four famous artists on the south windows are:

John van Eyck
Albrecht Dürer
Raphael Sanzio
Sir J Reynolds

The windows of the Drawing Room are only a small sample of the beautiful windows of Olveston Historic Home.

Come on one of our six daily 1-hour guided tours and learn about the Theomin family, their magnificent collection and how they lived in the early 1900s.

Article prepared by Kevin Flaherty, guide at Olveston Historic Home.

Olveston Historic Home is an authentic historic experience in the heart of Dunedin.

25/06/2026

24/06/2026

Ruth Young was born and raised in Dunedin and studied at the Dunedin School of Art. She was subsequently employed to create detailed illustrations of homes for real estate advertisements. These credentials make her the ideal artist to depict Olveston, and she has done so using her signature style of precise lines balanced with clean white space. The result is an elegant, black-and-white rendering of the House. Ruth’s fine line drawing allows her to depict small details with careful accuracy so that Olveston’s loveliest architectural features are immediately recognizable: the Dutch gables and oriel window; the stately tower with its flag and weathervane; the canopied front door; the decorative downpipes; and the twin lozenges high on the eastern façade that display David and Marie Theomin’s initials. Even the yew trees on either side of the crenelated and mullioned bay windows are crisply drawn.

Ruth’s stylish and distinctive image of Olveston is available in our Gift Shop, as a card accompanied by a complimentary matte black envelope; as an A4 print for you to frame; and, most recently, on a smart linen tea towel where the simplicity of her design is accentuated by a contrasting band of deep blue, green or red.

Enjoy browsing in the relaxed and peaceful atmosphere of the Olveston Gift Shop.

Open daily from 9.00am to 5.00pm
42 Royal Terrace, Dunedin
Ph: 03 477 3320

Olveston Historic Home offers an authentic historic experience in the heart of Dunedin.

23/06/2026

OLVESTON ELECRICAL UPGRADE

Lights out! We’re about to give Olveston Historic Home a glow up – literally! Olveston is about to get a complete overhaul and upgrade of its electrical system (some of which still features original components from when it was first built way back in 1906!).

What’s happening?
• Complete upgrade of the main switchboard and submain cables
• Replacing outdated outlets, connections and light fittings
• General repair and maintenance of older components and wires

Unfortunately, that also means we have to switch off the lights and close Olveston to the public while the upgrade project is underway. But don’t worry, this icon of Dunedin won’t be closed for long. We plan to be closed from 1st July and reopen by October – but with new switchboards, cables and light fittings better suited to the modern age!

21/06/2026

A heavy mystery in the lift part 2!

Alec is back with the reveal! What did you think? Let us know down below and check in next week for another peek into our collection!

20/06/2026

A heavy mystery in the lift!

Alec is back this week with an interesting object found in our lovely lift! Do you have an idea of where it might have come from? Let us know down in the comments and check in tomorrow for our grand reveal!

20/06/2026

Olveston is a beautiful example of the design and craftsmanship of bygone times, using materials and methods that were standard for generations. As with any older home there is always maintenance required, but for an historic home any repairs or replacements are always carefully considered. We always strive for the original materials and features to be used wherever possible.

Recently we have had some restoration and repainting work completed on the ornate wrought iron gates at the various entrances around the property. This required removal of the gates to have them cleaned and recoated. The brass locks have had their armature rebuilt and the original casings restored.

On Cobden Street there are large double gates which can be opened to allow access for vehicles up to the front door of the home. Adjacent to the double gates is a smaller pedestrian gate which has been disused for some years. In the process of removing the gates we were able to re-open this entry point to the property. However, work was required to install a new threshold step for the gate - a feature that was never present (or had been removed in the past). With the expertise of a local stone mason, we identified the type of stone, Breccia, that was used for the original walls below the iron fencing and the gate posts.

Breccia is volcanically formed rock that was used extensively in large historic buildings around Dunedin and was quarried locally in Port Chalmers. Breccia was commonly used in situations that demanded heavy use such as kerbstones, foundation walls and steps. The stone is particularly durable due to its high density yet still able to be cut and shaped (note the curved corners on the low walls leading to the entrances) and it has an attractive finish due to it being a composite containing pieces of different rock.

We were able to source a piece of Breccia from existing old stock at a local quarry and have it cut and placed to provide a firm footing for guests and comply with modern health and safety standards, while maintaining the original style and quality of the property. With time this new stone will weather and gain the patina that its 120-year-old neighbours have!

Come on one of our six daily 1-hour guided tours and learn about the Theomin family, their magnificent collection and how they lived in the early 1900s.

Olveston Historic Home is an authentic historic experience in the heart of Dunedin.



Article prepared by Peter Marshall, guide at Olveston Historic Home.

17/06/2026

Thank you, Jan and Mary this could not have been restored without your amazing skills, time and passion. We are so grateful.