Selection of Section 74 and Timber Construction
Born in London in 1839, Charles Turner immigrated to New Zealand in 1861.1 After working as a bushman in the Pelorus Valley, he married Matilda in 1870.2 When the government offered the Rai Valley for sale in 1881, Turner purchased Section 74 for £151 10s.3
Joined by his brother Arthur, he cleared dense bush and constructed a simple gabled cottage with a lean-to.4 The structure utilised hand-split tōtara slabs, pit-sawn timber framing, a tōtara shingled roof, and a chimney made from river stones encased in corrugated iron.5 Matilda and their children moved into the dwelling in May 1881.6
Living in Isolation and Weekly Labour
For over ten years, the Turners remained the sole European residents in the Rai Valley.7 To maintain income, Charles walked weekly to the Pelorus Valley to continue working as a bushman.8 During the week, Matilda and the children cleared undergrowth to prepare for Charles' felling at the weekend.9 Supplies were packed in over rough tracks from Havelock.10 Despite these hardships, the family established a cattle farm, proving the agricultural viability of the district while raising six children.11
Hospitality, Expansion, and Community Growth
As the farm expanded, the family built a cookhouse, bread oven, dairy, milking shed, and a dedicated timber room where Charles played his violin.12 Daughter Jane Turner recorded in her diary that the home received over 500 visitors in 1894 alone.13
Settlement accelerated around 1902 when the township of Carluke grew around Brownlee's sawmill.14 In 1909, their son Tim persuaded Charles and Matilda to sell the farm to Thomas and Catherine Blanchett.15 Charles died in Nelson in 1912, and Matilda passed away in 1928.16
Restoration and Public Legacy
Following its sale, the original cottage was repurposed as a shearing shed, children's playhouse, and fowl house.17 In 1965, the building was set aside as a private reserve before undergoing restoration by the Rai Valley Pioneer Home Committee between 1966 and 1969.18 Descendants and local volunteers replaced damaged cladding with historical tōtara slabs, repaired the shingled roof, rebuilt the fireplace, and installed period furnishings.19 The restored cottage opened as a museum in 1969 and entered public ownership as a Category 1 Historic Reserve in 1980.20 Today, it remains maintained as a key community heritage hub.21