Photography Showcase of La Trobe’s Cottage – Melbourne’s Oldest Surviving Building?
Hidden among the modern buzz of Melbourne lies a quiet piece of history that predates the skyscrapers, tram bells, and laneway art. Welcome to La Trobe’s Cottage Melbourne’s oldest surviving building. Check out the video below for the full series La Trobe’s Cottage Built in 1839 and remarkably shipped from Britain in prefabricated form, this charming wooden cottage belonged to Charles Joseph La Trobe, Victoria’s first governor. Long before Melbourne became the cultural capital we know today, this cottage stood as a symbol of early colonial ambition. And yes it may very well be Melbourne’s oldest surviving building. Shipped from Britain to the New Colony Imagine ordering your home from overseas in the 1800s. La Trobe did exactly that. The cottage was prefabricated in England, packed onto a ship, and transported across the world to the fledgling settlement of Port Phillip (now Melbourne). Once assembled, it became the family home of La Trobe and a key site in early Victorian governa...