The stone-walled house was burnt out by a bushfire in 1914 after the McKessar family had left the district and the farm had been taken over by a neighbour.
George and Emma (Driver) McKessar had lived and farmed there. George was born in 1836 and Emma in 1853 and they had six children. Emma was a child of Richard and Elizabeth (Robertson) Driver. Richard was the first official pilot for Otago Harbour, and she had been born at the pilot house at Taiaroa Head. She died at Purakanui at 47 in 1900 and George at 75 in 1912. – edited from research by Clive Crossman on various websites.