Schwerkolt Cottage Excursion    

Johann Schwerkolt first bought land in the 1850’s at Northcote, then in 1861 he purchased the Mitcham property. He is listed as a gardener in Northcote and a charcoal burner at Mitcham, the charcoal being used by local smithies. Once the heavily timbered land was cleared he established a mixed farm with fruit trees, vines, dairying, poultry, bees, wine-making and the quarry. He supplied some of the road metal when Whitehorse Road was being made in l886 and at an exhibition in Amsterdam he won a prize for best colonial wine.

The cottage consists of a kitchen-living room and two bedrooms surrounded by a verandah. An interesting feature of the cottage is square holes in the very thick internal stone walls. According to our guide, Bill Armstrong, they were for communicating between rooms. Al1 three rooms have been furnished with items typical of the era including patchwork quilts on the beds; chamber pots under the beds and in the main bedroom, a square wooden commode; and a chest of drawers and wardrobe holding clothes in the style of the times. Along with the small beds and cot in the second bedroom were old dolls and toys. Some of the more unusual items in the kitchen were the tin coffee bean roaster used on an open fire; the hand-operated cake mixer that mixed the batter in the baking tin; the bottle cutter made from a metal rod with a different sized ring at each end - this was heated and placed over the neck of the bottle and held there before being plunged into cold water, thus removing the neck of the bottle to make a jar; a large cup with a spout like a teapot for feeding recumbent patients; a very ornate moustache cup and saucer; and a cylinder-type gramophone.

 We ate our lunch under the verandah of the Nunawading and District Historical Society Museum, built to complement Schwerkolt Cottage as it is on the same site. It has been constructed from local stone, timber and the floor tiles made from local clay. The Museum was opened in 1977 and has a large local history collection documenting the city's development.

Other collections include textiles from 1880 to 1950, costumes, lace and needlework, jewellery, toiletries and household appliances such as a hand operated washing machine, old irons, sewing machines, food mixers and toys. 

Other buildings on the site include an authentic slab-built barn brought from Olinda and be- erected on site and a smithy of similar construction. A stone smokehouse has been constructed using an old family photo as a guide. When the underground wine cellar was cleared of dirt and debris it was found that it contained many wine-making items, mostly in good condition, which had been left inside when last used. The cellar has been restored as closely as possible to the original. In sharp contrast to the historical buildings on site are the ultramodern unisex toilet facilities.

Instructions for use:

1.   If the light on the outside is green, push button to open door

2.   Once inside, push button to close door and start piped music

3.   When ready, push button on automatic toilet paper dispenser

4.    Adjust clothing and make your way to the hand basin

5.    Place hands under automatic soap dispenser

6.    Place hands under automatic water dispenser and wash them

7.   Place hands under automatic hand dryer and dry them.  While hand cleaning process is in progress, toilet bowl is automatically flushed.

8.   Push button to open door and escape.

Warning: Do not linger too long contemplating times past or the doors will automatically open, exposing you to the world at large before you are quite ready, or you might be drowned in the automatic cleaning process.

Despite the overcast sky and slightly damp conditions, everyone participating in this excursion thoroughly enjoyed themselves.  Thanks to our guide, our bus driver, and particularly to Thelma Mayze for organizing this visit to Schwerkolt Cottage.