This cottage is one of two Fencible cottages that have been moved to MOTAT, the other being Quinlan Cottage. The Royal New Zealand Fencibles were military pensioners who were brought to Auckland between 1847 and 1852.
Half of this cottage was the home of Private Daniel Lawler, who came to New Zealand with his wife and two children on the ship Clifton in 1848. The homes provided for Privates were double units like this one, with a wall through the middle of the house. They were unpopular because you could hear everything that went on in the other half.
MOTAT has only procured Lawler’s half of the double-unit cottage. The other half was occupied by Private Richard Sattleday and his family, who also arrived on the Clifton. The Sattleday half had been demolished or moved before MOTAT received the building, so it has been rebuilt using recycled native timber. It is now used as a small gallery.
Most of the Fencibles who settled at Panmure, including the Lawler and Sattleday families, were Irish. Some of the Fencibles had to built their own raupo (bullrush) huts until the Fencible cottages were built.
Specifications
| Type | Fencible Cottage | |
| Address | Panmure, Auckland | |
| Date | c. 1848 to 1852 | |
| Materials | Native timbers, slate tiles, brick |
