When Captain Frederick Ferdinand Nilsson arrived in Auckland New Zealand from Sweden, in the late 1800’s he may not have envisaged that the house he built on the cliffs at Stanley Point in 1915 would become one of the most iconic waterside properties to feature in Auckland’s Golden Quartet. This property truly symbolises and embodies the history from one of the most progressive and prosperous maritime heritage areas of New Zealand.

Like many sea captains of the time, Nilsson wanted a house with a commanding view of the harbour. In suburbs like St Marys Bay and Ponsonby, captains’ houses are easy to spot: two story wooden villas with a tower. From their tower lookout, land-bound captains could watch the shipping with their telescopes.

Nilsson, however, had a different vision: to build a clifftop house – no tower required and rarely a telescope. In their stead, a most expansive view of the inner harbour where every ship leaving and arriving, whether passenger vessel, cargo, pleasure or competition passed in front of him like a parade – as they do today. It was from this very property that the current owners were among the first to espy the trial run of the conquering foiling catamaran of Emirates Team New Zealand.

The papers of the time report that Nilsson was a well-known and respected figure at Stanley Bay, and in every respect a typical sailor. Locals described him as tall and erect, and full of enthusiasm for the sea.

He was regularly called upon to master significant vessels of his time. In high demand for his ability to command a tough ship and meet merchant’s demands for fast, profitable journeys, his sea career was dominated by achievement and tenacity of spirit.
While captain of the brig Vision in March 1894, he set a record for the Newcastle to Auckland coal run of just seven and a half days.

In the early hours of the morning of February 2, 1898, Nilsson’s barquentine, Waitemata, was struck on the starboard quarter by the Stella, near Tiri Tiri Island . In only a few minutes, the crew with nothing but the clothes they wore and the ships papers were safely in the lifeboats thanks to Nilsson’s decisive action and leadership to abandon the rapidly sinking vessel.

Nilsson captained the barquentine Manurewa from New Zealand to Australia with a hold full of timber through cyclone and gale, in what he described as 40 days of the most tempestuous passage he had ever experienced. While lesser masters may have turned back, Nilsson’s tenacity bought the valuable cargo and loyal crew safely to port.

In August 1917, the hulk of a salvaged vessel was towed into Calliope Dock, made sea worthy and re-rigged as a four mast barquentine. She had originally been built by Hall Brother’s shipyard at Port Blakely, Washington (state), U.S.A in 1892. At 184 foot long, the 778-ton barquentine with a colourful history, the Lyman D Foster, was once again ready. This time, she was made ready for her new Devonport owners, Henry Niccol & Son, and a new commander.

Thus, it happened that on March 1, 1919 the Lyman D. Foster left Auckland bound for San Francisco via Nukualofa. To master this significant journey, the owners had turned immediately to one of the most experienced sea captains of the time. It was reported, that by common consent if one man could navigate from Stanley Bay to North America that man was Captain Frederick Ferdinand Nilsson of 55 Stanley Point Road.

On March 27, 1919, Captain Nilsson left Tonga having taken on a cargo of copra. The Lyman D Foster then just disappeared. She was posted 'missing' by Lloyd’s on 29 October 1919 and remains so today - a century after her disappearance. No trace of her, her captain or her crew, has ever been found.

Captain Nilsson’s wife, Charlotte, remained at 55 Stanley Point road, waiting for her captain to return, never giving up hope that he would sail past their home. She finally left port to join him and be together on their ultimate seafaring journey on June 9, 1944. She was aged 92. Captain Frederick Ferdinand Nilsson and Charlotte left 55 Stanley Point Road, a testament to their love of the sea and for each other.

Dominating the history of your house at 55 Stanley Point Road is, of course, the Waitemata harbour, the local wharves, anchorages and jetties, the historic community venues and nearby places of significant landfalls by both ancient peoples and more modern mariners. These peoples were the kernels of adventuress and prosperous endeavours that built your neighbourhood.

Named after Captain Owen Stanley of the HMS Britomart who surveyed the Waitemata Harbour in 1814, the area was originally known as Brick Bay thanks to its rich clay and local kilns. But the history of the area began almost 1000 years before Captain Stanley.

It was Kupe and his crew who sheltered first, at Torpedo Bay in about 925 AD. He left some of the crew there when he returned to Hawaiki. This first landfall heralded what is now considered to be the first settlers of New Zealand. Several waves of Polynesians followed over the next centuries, spreading out from their initial settlements at Devonport and Torpedo Bay.

The French explorer, D’Urville, anchored at Torpedo Bay in 1827 and as the area grew in international recognition it flourished into a marine suburb, attracting shipbuilders, farmers, churchmen, teachers, and shopkeepers.

Early settlers were skilled tradesmen, military, shipping and industry entrepreneurs . Many of them foresaw the advantages of the development of a town close to the city and recognising the obvious potential for capital growth invested heavily in land. They founded businesses that prospered, and the community came to reflect their ideas of progress and good fortune.

The area has always been an important part of the local marine industry. In 1888 Governor Lieutenant-General Sir William Jervois opened the Calliope Dry Dock, then the largest dock in the Sothern Hemisphere built with 1.5 million bricks, all dug, shaped and fired in Stanley Bay. The British ship HMS Calliope, the namesake of Calliope Point, opened the dry dock by cutting a ribbon with her prow. The day was thendeclared a public holiday for Auckland.

Ever since 1899 when the original Stanley Bay wharf, built in 1863, was extended to allow ferries to dock, the 10 minute ride to Auckland’s CBD and transport hub has been at your property’s doorstep. With the advent of a reliable ferry service, wealthy prominent Auckland citizens built houses in the area. This group formed an “elite” and the organisation of community affairs was closely intertwined with the commercial interests of these families. This developed the proud and progressive community that you will be part of.

From those initial prosperous starts, Stanley Point today is one of only four suburbs in Auckland’s “Golden Quartet”: suburbs with a median house price over $2m. Despite its exclusivity, and being home to some of New Zealand’s wealthiest families such as Spencer and Delegate, Stanley Point is friendly and community-minded. The local school, the ferry wharf and clubs are all places that bring neighbours together. This community spirit is reflected in the close proximity of these family gathering places, all of which are steeped in history in their own right.