Most of the cottage is of horizontal slab construction and is the

region's oldest building; possibly the oldest building in Victoria still

on its original site. (Tansley 1978)

Slab cottage in the grounds of Notre Dame, Tarrawarra, is an extant

example of a primitive construction technique, surviving examples of

which are rare. The cottage is representative of the early homesteads

constructed in Victoria and presumably has historical associations with

the settlement of the district. The structure may date from the 1850s or

earlier, in which case the cottage would be an early surviving building

in the State. (RNE, 005691)

The slab section of the cottage is approximately 50 feet by 15 feet, and contains six rooms. It is constructed of hand-hewn adzed slabs fitted horizontally into uprights of rough-hewn logs. The floors are paved in hand-made bricks (concreted over in some rooms), and the original wooden shingles are perfectly intact under the corrugated-iron roof. All the windows are the original small panes.

The two front rooms of the cottage are a much later addition of sawn timber and later date. Most of the cottage is in good condition. At present, the cottage is used as a guest-house for visitors of the

Abbey. An example of the excellent condition of much of the original slab section of the cottage. This wall is now inside a closed verandah.(Tansley, 1978, pp 123, plate 74)

Physical Conditions: Good