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 and during his governance, La Trobe continued to live there until he returned 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 that survive 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 construction 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. Tours of the cottage can be arranged in advance or 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.