La Trobe's Cottage was the home of Victoria's first governor, Charles Joseph La Trobe. The prefabricated building was shipped from Britain and built in 1839. La Trobe and his family lived in the cottage until they returned to England in 1854.
Decades after his departure, La Trobe’s Cottage was partly reconstructed and relocated near the Royal Botanic Gardens Herbarium. In 1998, it was moved again to its present location in Kings Domain near the Shrine of Remembrance.
The cottage contains many items which belonged to La Trobe and his family. The dining room added by La Trobe is believed to be Melbourne's oldest surviving structure.
La Trobe’s Cottage is open from October to April on Sundays from 1pm to 4pm (last guided tour 3.30pm). It is closed on Christmas Day and on days of extreme heat. Occasional open days are held throughout the year.
