Sir Robert Anderson, a notable Invercargill businessman, built the house and it was completed in 1925.[1] The house was designed by Cecil Wood, a Christchurch-based architect.[1] Interior walls were of white plaster to show Sir Robert's paintings and etchings to best advantage.[2] To the rear of the house stands a wharepuni or Māori house known as Te Wharepuni o Anehana, the traditional carving coming from Rotorua.[2]
After the deaths of Sir Robert (1942) and his wife (1951), the house and grounds were given to the city of Invercargill.[2] From 1951 the house has been used to display Invercargill's collection of art.[2] The collection is extensive, with a number of early European works but largely focusing on notable New Zealand and local art.[3] The collection is managed by an incorporated society.[3] Exhibitions from the permanent collection and notable artists were held regularly[3] until it was closed on 30 January 2014 due to earthquake risk.[1] It was re-opened on 12 November 2022 after 1.5 million dollars of renovations.[4]
