Matanaka Farm was founded by the Australian whaler Johnny Jones, who had bought the land and an adjoining whaling station in 1838.

[3] When the settlement of Dunedin began in 1848, Jones supplied the new settlers with produce at a "good price".

Ownership passed in 1892 to the farmer Alexander Bannatyne, whose family owned the farm until 1961.

The Ericson family gave the Matanaka Farm buildings to the New Zealand Historic Places Trust in 1976.

The buildings were registered as Category I heritage structures by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust on 11 December 2009 with registration number 7787.