The foundations of this dwelling are made of whalebone. Originally a two-roomed cottage, it was built in 1842 as part of the Waiopuka whaling station at Kaikōura, established by Alexander Robert Fyffe (known as Robert). It housed a cooper – an essential member of the whaling community who made the barrels to hold the oil. The house was extended in the early 1860s by Robert’s cousin, George Fyffe.