Previously, Little Courtville now restored to its original name) Braemar, 7 Parliament Street

Braemar was built in 1901 for John Gray and his family. In 1906 Braemar was purchased by William Bridson who leased it to the Jacob Ziman family as a townhouse. The smallest Courtville was certainly the home of the Jacob Ziman family.
On 14th June 1978 Vera Ziman wrote of Braemar :
"The smallest Courtville was certainly the home of the Jacob Ziman family...However the house was not built by my family...we filled the spacious home..2 storeyed in the front and 4 at the back comprising 6 bedrooms, dining room, drawing room, study, breakfast room, kitchen (as large as most modern flats, complete with gas range, coal range, to which was attached a large boiler providing gallons of hot water, which was piped throughout the house) maid's room, walk-in pantry, storeroom, 2 bathrooms, linen room. As the diningroom was on the floor at Eden St level and the kitchen and breakfast room (same size as the room above it) there was a lift (hydraulic) between the kitchen and 2nd pantry. There was a system of speaking tubes between all floors to avoid calling & running up & down stairs... In retrospect I realise Braemar was indeed a spacious Edwardian home. In latter years, when I had a flat in the “Large Courtville” I visited friends in the “Annexe” and laughingly compared the 1960s-70s with my girlhood days."

In 1917 Braemar was purchased by Potter and Stanton who had built the neighbouring Middle Courtville in 1914 and converted the large house into flats. It was administered in conjunction with the neighbouring apartment buildings. In 1994 Little Courtville or The Annex as Braemar was then known, was bought in auction.

More Braemar history...
NZ History Timeline

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