Page 203 - KBHA BULLETIN 6

November 1897. (D.T. 9261). The Williams family operated these two buildings as a

Boarding House for over 20 years (1897 – 1920) and during that period sub-divided

"Kimberley House" as Erf 88651.

The boarding house consisted of no less than 20 rooms, 3 bathrooms and 3 wash closets. It
was Mrs. Williams who actually ran the premises and it was she who incurred the wrath of

the KB-MM Council under Mayor Gourlay after she claimed damages to paintwork caused
by the bedrock blasting of contractor J. V. C. Collie when laying the sewerage system

along the Main Road outside "Kimberley House". Her claim was for repainting the

complete interior of the building but, when a surprise inspection by the KB-MM was
undertaken, it was found that only paintwork in about three of the bedrooms had been

affected.

Rose Taylor bought the two properties then known as "Mentone" and "Kimberley House"

(at one time known as "Mentone Cottage") from the estate of James Williams on 15
September 1920. (D.T. 13110). She applied under Section 16 of the Housing Act No. 35 of

1920 to have them demolished. She complained that the floors lay mainly below ground
level, the joists were close to the ground, and that damp had risen on the walls to a height

of 6 ft. above ground level. Permission to demolish was granted on 6 December 1938 but

for reasons unknown this was not carried out. (Fig. 4.11).

Instead, Rose Taylor altered the premises now known as "Craigside" and "Kimberley
Cottage". The Orr family, of department store fame, owned these two buildings from 1944

– 1969 and sublet "Kimberley Cottage" for doctor’s rooms. A disused post-box dating from
the 1870s is built into the wall outside "Craigside" and is embossed with Queen Victoria's

crest.

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