Specimen Cottage in Hargreaves Street, Bendigo, is arguably the oldest building in the city and is now the front-of-house and display centre for the Bendigo Historical Society.
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IT has had several re-incarnations since the first part of the cottage was built in 1856 and remains an outstanding specimen of the stonemasons’ skill.
Heritage Victoria made the following description of Specimen Cottage: “The house at 178-180 Hargreaves Street has two distinct parts. The 1856 section is a single storey building with a symmetrical front façade of local sandstone rubble with dressed quoins and dressings to openings; the side walls are rubble, the rear and interior walls are of red brick. It has a central front door with one window on each side. The name, Specimen Cottage, and the date 1856, are carved above the door.
The roof, which was probably hipped, was later changed to join up with the side wall of the 1861 section, and is partly covered with Morewood and Rogers metal tiles and partly with corrugated iron. The 1861 section was built to match the earlier house in material and detailing, but is of two storeys; its side walls are of brick. On the ground floor there is a front door and one window. Across the first floor there is an elegantly detailed cantilevered timber balcony with a hipped concave roof and two French windows opening on to it.”
Bendigo Historical Society members Barbara Poustie and Carol Holsworth have led tours of Specimen Cottage, as part of the ‘Summer in the Parks’ program, held each Sunday this month. They pointed out many of the features described in the Heritage Victoria report and the present day restoration work.
The image with this article shows the cottage before one restoration in the 1970s. Visitors today may see a new display, ‘Cycling through Time’ as well as other items.
The cottage is open from 10am to 4pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Readers are probably familiar with some parts of the story of Specimen Cottage, such as the work of stonemason James Brierley, who built the cottage for his family during the early Bendigo goldrush. This was not the only structure built by Brierley.
The plaque on the corner of Mundy and Hargreaves Streets indicates that there once stood the Royal Princess Hotel, built by Brierley.
Bendigo Historical Society committee member, Barbara Poustie, has continued in her research on the family of James Brierley, whilst committee member Carol Holsworth and society volunteer, Neil Talbot, have been instrumental in having the Brierley grave stone placed in its original position.
