The land on each side of the stretch of Rue Jolie that runs south from Beach Road was taken up originally by Dr Daniel Watkins, Akaroa’s first doctor. In 1864 Watkins leased the site of Rose Cottage to Edward Morey, who built a small cottage on the land in 1865.
The original cottage was was the higher section with its gable end facing the street. The lower wing, with its verandah, came later. The board and batten cladding of the original cottage has a string course covering a join because only short lengths of timber were available. This feature along with the simple, hand-shaped bargeboards and chamfered window architraves indicate that the cottage was built before machine-milled boards and machine-shaped decorative features were commonly available.
Alterations around 1914 and in the 1940s changed the cottage. The side room to the north is not original; nor is the bay window on the original wing. Rose Cottage is an intriguing record of changes in Akaroa’s cottage architecture. The cottage was owned from 1909 until 1972 by the Walker family. J.J. Walker was an early Akaroa builder.
