Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House is based at number 83 Clyde Rd which was the family home of Kate Sheppard between 1888 and 1902. It is where the pioneering suffragist and her fellow campaigners organised their movement to secure the vote for women, and it is now open for the public to visit, enjoy and to seek inspiration from. A Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga property, it was bought by the New Zealand Government to be converted into a museum and event and exhibition venue to showcase Kate Sheppard and other New Zealand women responsible for significant social change. The house underwent a major repurposing and was officially opened by the Prime Minister in December 2020.
The property has been interpreted in a way that celebrates the life and work of Sheppard without attempting to exactly replicate her milieu. Where period furniture and treatments have been used, they’re given a contemporary twist. The house has many personal touches and treasures with the families of her extended network both donating and lending items.
But the story of her life and influence also allows for a broader story to be told. Sheppard’s former study has been recast as a ‘Legacy Room’, with pivotal social, economic and political developments affecting Aotearoa New Zealand women cited on the walls, from getting the vote to the advent of the Domestic Purposes Benefit to the election of female Prime Ministers. The story here recognises the important role played by Meri Te Tai Mangakāhia and other Māori women in the struggle for the right to vote.
In time, Te Whare Waiutuutu Kate Sheppard House is a heritage destination of national and international significance – as a domestic setting where the suffrage campaign brought world change for women. The house museum provides a source of inspiration, a place for discussion on historical and progressive action.
The surrounding acre of garden, is still graced by established heritage trees planted by the Sheppards and rose gardens, camellia and rhododendron stands, perennial beds and a riverside pathway.
The property is open from 10am – 4pm from Wed – Sunday. Entry prices apply, school pupils are free.
The event venue and the gardens are available to hire – details are on the website.
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