If he’s not already busy enough leading our town back from last year’s natural disaster, Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg is about to start renovating and restoring Lismore’s oldest home.

The Monaltrie Homestead was built in 1861 and first owned by Lismore’s founder, William Wilson. It was built by master builder William Clements with red cedar, white beech, teak and hoop pine.

“I love history and I love places with a story,” Mr Krieg told the Lismore App.

“We have always wanted to renovate, so when the opportunity came up to buy Lismore’s oldest house, we had a look at it, and jumped at the idea.”

The 162-year-old home is a significant piece of Lismore’s history, and will be a spectacular home once fully restored.

“It needs a lot of work. We won't be living out there for a little while… we want to bring it back to better-than-new condition.”

There are high ceilings, four large fireplaces, pressed metal ceilings and a north-facing veranda.

“I've got a few mates that I can call on to help out [with the rebuild] which is really good… just to be a part of restoring some of Lismore’s history is a really exciting prospect.”

There is more history than just the original homestead, as William Wilson and his family are actually buried on the property in an old cemetery.

“It's not on our patch of land, but only 100 metres walk away is the Wilson family cemetery.”

Alongside the Wilson family, is the headstone of the local Bundjalung chief at the time, Charley Queybaum. Queybaum became friends with Wilson, which is said to have ensured the white settler had good relations with the local tribes.

William Wilson’s grandson Marquis del Moral, organised Queybaum's headstone as recognition for saving his grandfather’s life on more than four occasions.

Forward over 100 years, and Mayor Krieg now hopes the property will be something he can pass on through his family.

“For us, it's also a bit of a legacy for our kids, something that hopefully we'll be able to pass onto our next generation, and we can keep the history of our town alive through such significant sites.”