Built in 1902 for Joseph Gamble, an orchardist who worked at the (then) nearby Government Experimental Orchard, the Cottage and Garden that bear his family name were bequeathed in 1982 by two of his daughters, Clara and Edith, to the City of Mitcham for use by the local community.
The Coromandel Valley & Districts Branch of the National Trust South Australia now manages the Cottage (under lease) and another volunteer group, Friends of the Gamble Garden, maintain the picturesque cottage-style garden.
Partly a museum reflecting the lifestyle of its original owners, Gamble Cottage comprises a kitchen, three main rooms and hallway.
There is also a timber-framed room (part of the early fabric of the building), that contributes to the space available for community hire for meetings, displays and use in conjunction with gatherings in the garden area.
Coromandel Valley & Districts Branch of National Trust SA host open days at the Cottage on the third Sunday of each month from February to November. Afternoon tea is available on these occasions.
Bookings can be arranged for group visits at other times. If desired, lunch or afternoon tea can be provided in the garden or on the front veranda.
Gamble Garden
The Friends of the Gamble Garden care for this rare example of a true cottage garden with its small, formal garden beds planted with old fashioned roses, hardy shrubs, bulbs and annuals.
Due to their frailty when the Gamble sisters left the property, the garden had suffered considerable deterioration.
Restoration was undertaken in 1986 as a South Australian Jubilee 150 project. This resulted in the garden being reinstated near as possible to the original formal garden layout described by the sisters after they had moved into Aged Care.
Gamble Garden is a Mitcham Council Reserve that is open at all times, every day of the year, and the public is welcome to visit and browse at leisure.
Venue Hire
The Cottage and Garden are ideal for small weddings with 30 to 35 guests.
To enquire about venue hire contact our Liaison Officer on 0474 066 776 or by email at ntcoro1@bigpond.com
