Public Address | Cafe | Hard News: Michael Baker and the Big House

Carlotta Arona

Sun, 20 Mar 2022 15:47:38 +1300

Thank you for this great article, I really enjoyed reading it. I also lived at the Big House in 2013. Even if it was only for 6 months. I met amazing people, some of whom have become dearest friends for life. What a beautiful and unique experience.
I wrote a…

Idiot Savant

Thu, 07 May 2020 17:24:17 +1200

Was doing some random paleontology, and found that there's an article about this place in the final Craccum of 1982. (you'll probably need to download it, as the web interface is a bit random about rendering).

Hugh Wilson

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 12:32:53 +1200

Interesting old photo of St Stephens ave there – the Bishops (?) spot on the left is still there, as are those big old houses on the right and possibly that Norfolk Pine too. The Church obv got in early and secured all the good land around Parnell, indeed the…

Bruce Hopkins

Mon, 06 Apr 2020 14:40:48 +1200

Great read, thanks for sharing. Lived in Auckland at the time but on the shore. Was vaguely aware of the house & in reading your article I realise I know a number of former citizens of the big house!

A Dry

Mon, 06 Apr 2020 11:07:29 +1200

Odyssey house got demo’d around 2012. Now three or or four space-age houses neighbouring the Big House now.

Russell Brown

Mon, 06 Apr 2020 08:02:33 +1200

Meanwhile, I asked how lockdown at going at The Big House and resident Marc de Boer reported back:

The Lockdown is going great we have organised the hell out of everything meetings at the strangest times like Saturday night.

We have an organised fun schedule. Yoga and meditation in the…

Russell Brown

Mon, 06 Apr 2020 08:00:51 +1200

I’ve deleted several comments that weren’t relevant to the post. I don’t have the patience I used to, clearly.

Russell Brown

Sun, 05 Apr 2020 15:24:42 +1200

Oh boy, I grew up in the house across the road, 43 St Georges Rd.

Oh wow! And we crossed over and all.

Odyssey House next door was similarly large but better maintained with majestic gardens, and down the back in the gully was what seemed a very mythical type…

Hugh Wilson

Sun, 05 Apr 2020 15:01:41 +1200

Oh boy, I grew up in the house across the road, 43 St Georges Rd. We lived there from the mid 70s until around 1987. I never knew you lived there Russell, or Fane Flaws, or Bruno Lawrence but I do remember the house being busy (and noisy), a bus…

Jason Kemp

Sun, 05 Apr 2020 10:59:07 +1200

That house was and is a legend. Thanks for the story. I knew Michael as a one of the wider group of student political types on campus in the early '80's. He was very together even then and it won't surprise any from student days that he is excelling in…

Hilary Stace

Sun, 05 Apr 2020 10:57:22 +1200

What fascinating networking. That's so NZ.

Public Address

Sun, 05 Apr 2020 10:57:22 +1200

Discussion from blog post.