Physical description

Newspaper feature from Bendigo Advertiser Tues January 12 2016 and image of Specimen Cottage before restoration in 1970s It was built by stonemason James Brierley for his family Is now the front of house and display centre for The Bendigo Historical Society and is arguably the oldest building in the city with 1856 shown above the front door Near the corner of Hargreaves and Mundy St The building has two parts The 1856 section is single storey with front façade of locally sourced sandstone rubble with dressed quoins and dressings to openings, side walls are of rubble the rear and interior walls are of red brick a central front door a window on either side The roof which was probably hipped, was later joined to the next wall of the 1861 section and is partly covered with Morewood and Rogers metal tiles with partly corrugated iron The 1861 section was built to match the earlier one Across the first floor of the 1861 section is an elegantly detailed cantilevered timber balcony with a hived concave roof and two French windows opening onto it Bendigo Historical Society members Barbara Poustie and Carol Holsworth have led tours of the cottage as part of the 'Summer in the parks' program A plaque on the corner of Hargreaves and Mundy indicates that there once stood the Royal Princess Hotel, also built by Brierley, Bendigo Historical Society members have continued research on the Brierley family