Hurworth Cottage
Hurworth Cottage was the first homestead of Harry Atkinson, one of the first settlers arriving in New Plymouth and future four-time Premier of New Zealand, who previously held many other civic positions. Hurworth Cottage, the sole survivor after the Taranaki Wars from the small Hurworth pioneer settlement established during the 1850s, keeps many features characteristic of its Colonial construction period. In 1967 the cottage was donated to New Zealand Historic Places Trust, which restored it to its original size and appearance. It is registered by Heritage New Zealand as a Category 1 heritage building. History After the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi on 6 February 1840 and the declaration of sovereignty from 21 May 1840, the number of immigrants to New Zealand, particularly from the United Kingdom, began to increase. New Plymouth was chosen by Frederic Alonzo Carrington, the 32-year-old Chief Surveyor for the Plymouth Company, as the site for New Zealand's second European colony. Between the first settlers arriving in New Plymouth in 1852–1853 was Harry Atkinson, together with his brother Arthur and other members of the Richmond and Hursthouse families, calling themselves "the Mob". Harry and Arthur Atkinson each bought a 200 acres (80 hectares) of farmland