The story of Schwerkolt Cottage
On this guided tour of Schwerkolt Cottage - one of the few remaining 19th century stone settlers’ cottages in metropolitan Melbourne - hear the story of the Schwerkolt family. The Cottage features a garden, barn, smithy, wine cellar, smokehouse and museum in a bushland setting.
August Schwerkolt migrated from Prussia in 1849 and was one of the first settlers in the Mitcham area. Built in 1884, Schwerkolt Cottage was one of three cottages built by the Schwerkolt family and the last still remaining. Visitors to the Schwerkolt Cottage and Museum Complex discover how the cottage was built using stones from the banks of the Mullum Mullum Creek. The cottage rafters and verandah posts were originally young trees cut on site. Visitors learn about life back in the 1800s and view some of the agricultural machinery that was used to maintain the vast orchards. The adjoining Museum exhibits the Whitehorse Historical Society’s collection of artefacts and costumes of the Whitehorse region.