Dodd's Log Cabin has high local significance as a fine example of the

craftsmanship of John W. Dodd, son of an early district selector, who

built many log cabins in the Olinda area. The log cabin is

architecturally significant as an unusual and innovative example of the

log construction technique. The Dodd family, who were associated with

the early orcharding and flower growing industries, played prominent

roles in pioneering the district.

Dodd's Log Cabin is an unusual log cabin which dates, in part, from the 1880s. The house is located in an isolated, natural setting within 'Rainbow Gully' (Place No. 642). (Mrs Anne Swanson, daughter of Allan P. Dodd) It straddles a terraced clearing within the forest and overlooks the fern-covered hillside to the north.

Because of the terraced site, the rectangular plan house is predominantly single storey but includes a basement level to the north. The house has a gable roof and evidence of a balcony structure to the north.

The materials of the lower level suggest that the basement is a later inclusion. In contrast to the natural local materials of the upper storey and roof, the basement level is constructed from brick and incorporates a number of timber framed, c1930s windows which have a central, fixed pane and a double hung window either side.

The log cabin construction of the upper storey is an unusual and innovative example of the construction technique. The walls are made from logs laid horizontally, which overlap at each corner. A recessed verandah is located to the west elevation, which reveals a vertical log structure at the corner and the narrow cut timber used as ceiling joists. The gable end is lined with rectangular shingles and a long, slender log is used as a fascia. Timber battens can be seen between the fascia and the corrugated iron roof lining. A small curved piece of timber is arched to form a simple decorative bracket, connecting the corner post to the ceiling rafters.

The windows are irregularly placed and of various sizes and appear to have largely been replaced since the construction of the house in the late nineteenth century. Examples include a bank of three casements with timber framed, double pane highlights and louvred rectangular windows.

Physical Conditions: Good

Integrity: Minor Modifications