33 Voelas Rd is by no means one of Lyttelton’s oldest homes, but it is authentic with traditional layout and possesses all its original, solidly built and beautifully crafted, fixtures and fittings including fireplaces, mantle-shelves, cupboards, windows and doors. It has been well looked after over the years and is nearing its 100th year. It is also interesting for its links with the Webb family, who played a major part in many areas of Lyttelton life in the last 150 years.
From humble beginnings, that illustrate a life gone by, the Webbs became a well-respected Lyttelton family: upstanding citizens who served their close-knit community. 33, Voelas Rd stands on what was part of the gardens of the Webb family home; in 1900 there was a big old house at 2 Webb Lane (4 Webb Lane was their grounds and extended onto the flat of Voelas Rd.) John Richard Webb lived here with his wife Anna and their children who included Aurelia, Alf and Jack. When Aurelia married William Lindsay the newly weds were given this land and built the villa at 33 Voelas Rd in 1907; up until 10 years ago the garden still had the same roses in it that were planted on their wedding day.
Their daughter, Margaret, has happy memories of Lyttelton and ‘grandfather Webb’s house’ behind her parents first home. In 1859 her grandfather: John Richard (the middle of three sons) came to Lyttelton on Regina at the age of fourteen. With him came older brother William Washington Webb and younger brother Samuel Rollin Webb. The three brothers worked hard to earn a living; by 1865 they were well established at the top of Brenchley Rd on Rural section 193 with dwelling houses, stables, out-houses and land with gardens and paddocks. Samuel and William were market gardeners; John was a dairyman. They trekked daily from high up Brenchley Rd to the well at the original base of Bridle path (by the tunnel) to collect water to carry all the way up the hill home, they must have been fit, carrying pails of water on wooden yokes across their shoulders! John used this method for carrying the milk produced by his dairy herd. He married Anna Whitby (whose brother Captain Whitby was a skilled mariner famed for his ability to “turn his ship on a sixpence”.)
Anna and John moved to Cass Bay to establish another market garden (here they became involved with the setting up of the little church close by at Rapaki which is still standing. John Webb and son Alf set up a thriving grocers shop, his brother Samuel with John’s son Jack set up a greengrocers shop to sell their produce in Lyttelton.
They were an honest, hardworking family who did well. John Richard Webb was Lyttelton’s Mayor from 1913-15; his younger brother, Samuel Rollin Webb was Mayor three times: 1883-4, 1888-9 and 1904-8. Samuel became the wealthy one in the family and had an extensive photograph collection that included views of early Lyttelton. Samuel and Sophie’s second son, Eric Norman Webb, attended Lyttelton Borough School and went on to become a pupil teacher there. In 1908 he went on to Canterbury University College Engineering School and in 1911 was Chief Magnetician in Mawson’s Australasian Antarctic Expedition, an important job that entailed plotting the exact location of the south magnetic pole. Eric was awarded the Military Cross in WW1 and was involved in important world wide hydro electricity engineering projects.
John Richard and Samuel both became stalwarts of the Wesleyan Methodists. John Richard who was nicknamed Honest John was superintendent of the Sunday schools for sixty years. In 1902 William Webb, John’s son, was the first New Zealander to win the World Sculling Championships at Sydney.
Lyttelton’s Methodist Church was opened in 1861 on its Norwich Quay site, at a cost of 1,770 pounds. It was a cruciform building with an elaborately carved pulpit. In 1862 a slate roofed cottage was built on Exeter St. for the Wesleyan minister. With the widening of Dublin Street for business premises the church was relocated to Winchester Street onto a site that was purchased for it plus a new Wesleyan school in 1863. The relocation cost 500 pounds, raised by a church bazaar and the sale of the Norwich Quay land. In 1877 an excellent pipe organ was introduced at the great cost of 500 pounds, Anna Webb and her daughter Aurelia were renowned for their expert playing of this melodious instrument. At its height, this Sunday school had many teachers including John and Samuel Webb, John Kenner, Mr. Early, Mr Pitcaithly and Mr Chambers.
The site of this Wesleyan church is where the union chapel stands at 40 Winchester St. The old church was demolished in 1958 but luckily its beautifully carved pulpit and attractive organ were saved in-situ and the new chapel was carefully built around them. The chapel is now The Union Chapel since the congregations of both the Presbyterians and Wesleyans united. It is an unexpected pleasure to enter this building expecting to find a 1950’s interior and see much from the original 19th Century building. The Welsh slates from the original church were recycled for the chapel roof; also some of the stain glass windows were retained.
Since the Webb family left their villa, the house has had occupants that have looked after it well, Claudia Reid: now a councillor for our District cared for this house. The present owners have lovingly maintained its historic character for almost 10 years. They have sympathetically adapted the outhouse (originally containing the wash house and w.c.) into an attractive study, using recycled materials from the correct era. 33 Voelas Rd retains all its character from yesteryear yet is a comfortable family home for life in the 21st century.
