"Gratuity Cottage", at 9 Gorge Rd, was destined for demolition, but a call by the Queenstown Lakes District Council for expressions of interest in preserving it has turned up trumps.
Built in the 1870s, the category 2 historic place is described by Heritage New Zealand as "one of the most original and unmodified early buildings to survive in Queenstown".
Its owner since 2013, Kwang Soon Kim, was granted consent to demolish the building to make way for a townhouse development on the 443sq m site.
However, Mr Kim agreed to work with the council on a bid to have it relocated, and expressions of interest were called for last February.
Christchurch couple Morris and Anita Wright, the sole applicants, said in their expression of interest they had a passion for historic buildings.
They had bought a section in St Bathans, Central Otago, in 2013, and wanted to re-establish a cottage similar to one that had been on the section in the 1870s.
The couple said it would be used as a holiday cottage and "kept in the family for future generations to enjoy".
They were keen to move the cottage as soon as possible, but first needed an archaeological authority from Heritage NZ for their section, as well as resource and building consents from the Central Otago District Council.
Last week, the council approved a $3000 heritage incentive grant to Mr Kim for the cost of a resource consent to remove the cottage.
Speaking at the council's community and services committee last Thursday, chairman Scott Stevens said he was disappointed the cottage was leaving the district, but happy it would not be demolished.
"If it had gone into landfill, I would've cried."
He hoped the cottage would stay at its new St Bathans site "for another 150 years".
Council arts and events relationship manager Jan Maxwell told councillors Mr Kim had not sought payment for the cottage, and had "probably spent much more" than $3000 on consenting costs.
The 38sq m cottage is believed to have been built in 1871 or 1872 by Queenstown builder John Frederic, most likely using southern beech milled from Robertson and Co's sawmills at Kinloch.
It got its name from a past owner, Dr Raymond Kirk, who used money from his post-World War 2 gratuity to buy it.
