Settlers Cottage

Old Mogo Town, Tourism theme park near Batemans Bay, south coast NSW

More permanent housing was generally of "wattle and daub" construction, a method of building which dates back to Anglo-Saxon times. The method involves driving stakes into the ground and weaving flexible branches around them, a technique known as "wattling". As the Australian Acacia family has relatively thin and springy branches which lend themselves well to this method of construction, they have become known as Wattle trees.

The resulting walls tend to be full of small (and not so small) holes which are then chinked or daubed with mud. A final coat of whitewash (a mixture of water and lime) provides some additional strength and a degree of waterproofing.

This method of building persisted until the mid 1860s when corrugated iron became commonly available, arriving as ballast on returning sailing vessels.

As most of the diggers and settlers came from Europe, their houses tended to follow the styles of European dwellings of that period. They reflected the humbleness of the times and were built for warmth and shelter rather than lifestyle as modern housing is.

Many such dwellings were built in those early years on unclaimed land. As the government was keen to encourage settlement of the country areas, such land was sometimes given to the inhabitants as a land grant.

Australian Bush

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Australian East Coast Tourism Website