La Trobe's Cottage, Melbourne

La Trobe's Cottage, Melbourne

La Trobe Cottage was the home of Victoria’s first governor Charles Joseph La Trobe. You will find the little cottage in the King’s Domain parklands close to the south entrance of the Royal Botanic Gardens. The cottage was built from pre-fabricated materials transported from England in 1839.

Originally the home stood near the Melbourne Cricket Ground. La Trobe lived there during his governance until his return to England in 1854. The home is now looked after by the National Trust of Australia and is one of only a handful of examples of pre-fabricated English houses from this period of colonial life.

In 1840 La Trobe added a dining room extension to the cottage and this is believed to be the oldest surviving structure built in Melbourne. In 1960 the home was rescued from its derelict state and it was moved to the Domain and restored. Inside the home you can still see much of the furniture and personal effects of the La Trobe family that have been tracked down by the trust.

The cottage is open to visitors each Sunday between October and May from 2pm to 4pm and the last Sunday of the month for the rest of the year. Tours of the cottage can be arranged in advance.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Melbourne. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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La Trobe's Cottage on Map

Sight Name: La Trobe's Cottage
Sight Location: Melbourne, Australia (See walking tours in Melbourne)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Melbourne, Australia

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