La Trobe’s Cottage Open House
Charles Joseph La Trobe, Victoria's first Governor, lived with his wife Sophie and their four children for nearly 15 years in the family’s elegant prefabricated cottage. Take a tour of La Trobe's Cottage and hear some fascinating stories about life in early Melbourne
The La Trobe’s home was elegantly furnished and surrounded by a beautiful garden. During their time here Melbourne grew from a rudimentary settlement of fewer than 3,000 people to the centre of a thriving Colony of nearly 237,000 people. La Trobe played a significant role in setting up our early cultural institutions, and in establishing the parks and gardens which are such a feature of our State today.
Take a tour of La Trobe’s Cottage and hear some fascinating stories from the family’s letters about life in early Melbourne, both before and during the crisis years of the gold rushes.