In a remarkable yet typical act of generosity, Susan Price, who with her parents Beverley and the late Hugh Price, gifted the Randell Cottage for use as a writer’s residence has now donated “Chevening”, the Kelburn apartment block she recently restored, to Heritage New Zealand.

She discusses her decision to gift the building in this interview with the Dominion Post.

Susan’s history of “Chevening” will be published later this year.

The Price family’s generosity was also acknowledged by Fiona Kidman in the following letter, published in the Dominion Post on 19 February:

Price family’s generosity knows no bounds

I am delighted to see the acknowledgment of Susan Price’s magnificent gift of the Chevening apartment block to Heritage New Zealand (Feb 16).

This is not the only building of historical significance that Susan and her parents, Beverley and the late Hugh Price, have given away.

In 2001, I was one of a group of writing friends looking for a house to create a writers’ residency. Beverley rang me one day and said she had a restored cottage in St Mary St. It had once belonged to her great-grandfather, William Randell. She and her family would love us to have it. If we accepted the gift, she would see their lawyer and pop the keys in my letterbox when she was passing.

That is exactly what happened. The Randell Cottage Writers’ Trust was formed and, for the past 18 years, this charming colonial residence has been home to a New Zealand writer for six months of the year and a French writer for the other six.

Fiona Kidman, Hataitai