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A ninety year old home, rich in history, will go under the auctioneer's hammer next month (this was written in 1982). The two-storey weatherboard home is situated on the corner of Failford Road and Bullocky Way, Failford and was built by a pioneering family, the Breckenridges. The home was built by pioneer, Harry Breckenridge about 90 years ago. The style of the home appears to have an American influence – the 'Deep South'. American whaling fleets worked the Bay of Islands area extensively. The home remained in the Breckenridge family until about forty years ago (about 1940) when it was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Brock and has since remained in the Brock family.
The Breckenridge family had operated a hardwood timber mill on the Wallamba River well before the turn of the century. A lot of timber at the time was being exported to New Zealand.
Mr. Harry Breckenridge went to New Zealand more than one hundred years ago to work in the ship building industry so that he could learn the trade. He returned to Failford and set about building two boats, both about 120ft in length. One was steam powered and the other a sailing ship which was later converted to steam. Both boats were used to carry hardwood milled at Failford to New Zealand. The "Jap" came to grief off Black Head, the second boat the "Commonwealth" went down at Red Head near Newcastle. Whilst in New Zealand, Mr. Harry Breckenridge married and built his home at Failford. The house was a replica of his wife's family home at Totra in the Bay of Islands.
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