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In the meantime the inmates of the house, assisted by a number of local inhabitants and visitors from
other boarding establishments, lost no time in removing the baggage and personal effects of the
occupants into the grounds. The staff of willing workers was increased by the arrival of a number of
men employed on the harbour works, whom the Engineer had thoughtfully despatched to the scene,
and as a result most of the furniture belonging to the lessee, Capt. Phipps, was also saved.
Unfortunately some of this, having been placed too near the burning building, caught fire from the
blazing thatch which the wind carried about, doing considerable damage before the articles could be
removed to a place of greater safety.

The fire burned its way down until nearly the whole of the inside of the building had become ignited.
The Fire Brigade, however, were able to save some of the woodwork and partitions on the ground
floor, though this can scarcely prevent the building from being described as ‘completely gutted’.

It was feared at one time that the bush on the adjacent mountain slopes might become ignited from
the flying embers and so endanger the safety of the many residences which have recently been
erected on the hillside, but the men and others prevented the fire from assuming further serious
proportions.

The building which contained 16 bedrooms and numerous other apartments and at the time of the
outbreak was full of visitors, belongs to Messrs Tregidga and Mossop, and was insured in the New
Zealand Fire Insurance Co. The contents of the house, it is stated, were not insured and the loss to the
lessees, Capt. and Mrs Phipps, is a serious one.”

The Cape Argus carried a similar report but added that there was no injury to any of the

visitors or boarders other than “one gentleman who received a nasty burn in dragging a lady’s

iron trunk out of the debris.” It added further that “Naturally the visitors and boarders were
severely inconvenienced with loss of their possessions but none more so than the lessees

Capt. and Mrs. Phipps who lost everything they owned.”

The public responded most generously and the Reverend Brooke of the Holy Trinity Church

set up a fund to help the Capt. and Mrs Phipps. A concert arranged by Lady Juta was also held

in the Anglican Mission School Hall to raise money for the unfortunate couple.

The council then replanned Erf 89659 which was now effectively vacant. Dalebrook Road

was laid down the centre and the remainder of the erf was divided into six erven, three on
either side of the road. Tredidga and Mossop sold off these erven and Thomas Wiersma

bought erf 89647 for £300. Here he constructed a double storey building which consisted of
four flats. This he named Dalebrook House.

James Donnelly purchased Dalebrook House on 31 July 1920 from Thomas Wiersma for
£3,025. He had immigrated from Co. Armagh, Ireland. During the mid-1920s he added a third