Built in 1864 and originally known as Awamoa House, the property on South Hill was renamed The Homestead in 1958 and set up as a commercial enterprise, catering for weddings and functions.
But with an open day on October 1, the newly named The Manor Estate will allow Liz Heenan to come ``full circle'' in a life that has always had a love of music, culture and the arts at its centre.
Ms Heenan said a ``suggestion box'' to find out what the community wanted would help to shape the venue's future, but she already had a vision.
``It's got a lot of potential, the place, and we'll just take it quietly to start with and feel our way with it and develop it and see how we go and try and involve the community,'' Ms Heenan said.
During the 1980s Ms Heenan lived in Dunedin and was a member of the New Edinburgh Folk Club and helped organise the Whare Flat Folk Festival. But she has spent the last 12 years working for the Department of Corrections in Taupo.
The old homestead had been ``absolutely beautifully maintained by the previous owners''. She would run a bed and breakfast and hoped to continue the success the property had experienced as a wedding venue, but her heart was set on providing regular entertainment in the ballroom, which could seat 250.
She hired Oamaru's Jae Bedford, from the Bedford School of Music, whom she has known for 20 years, as an events manager and the two hope to start with ``intimate'' performances bimonthly - six a year - and build up to providing monthly entertainment for the town.
Mr Bedford said with his country music ``background'' he was keen to kick off the ballroom with a country music concert and ``barn dance''. But he said the aim of the venue was to complement what was on offer elsewhere in Oamaru.
Ms Heenan was keen to bring blues and jazz, cultural performances or classical shows to Oamaru. But she said it was very important to her to include the community in the future of the place.
Returning to Otago felt like a homecoming.
``I'm coming home,'' she said. ``I like the warmth of South Island people, I like the warmth and integrity ... and the community spirit. That's why I've chosen Oamaru, because there's a really strong community spirit here and people work together to move forward.''
