Schwerkolt Cottage & Museum Complex

August Schwerkolt (1822-1886) emigrated with his wife Paulina (1823-1884) from the town of Świebodzin in Prussia arriving at Hobson’s Bay on 20 December 1849. They settled initially in Northcote, where a number of fellow Germans had already become established. On 14 December 1861, the Schwerkolts purchased 88 acres of land beside the Mullum Mullum Creek or Deep Creek, Mitcham, and with their children worked both properties for a time, with a market garden at Northcote, and charcoal-burning at Mitcham, while they cleared the Mitcham property for mixed farming. Schwerkolt built the first house at Mitcham in 1864 using stone excavated from near the creek, and progressively added a number of other outbuildings, including a stone smokehouse, a second timber cottage and stables, blacksmith and a wine cellar. Schwerkolt built a third cottage in stone with three rooms around 1886. August married a second time (to Wilhelmina) in 1885, and the cottage was only partially finished when he died in January 1886.[2]

The cottage was rented out to tenants for a period of time but was condemned in 1960 by the Department of Housing, but the impending demolition resulted in the local community campaigning to preserve it. The former City of Nunawading purchased the site in 1964, and restoration was carried out by a group of volunteers committed to local heritage issues. The restored building was opened by the Governor of Victoria, Sir Rohan Delacombe, on 17 November 1965. Further reconstruction of original buildings including the blacksmith, barn, stone smokehouse, and the underground wine cellars were undertaken, and new buildings were erected to house the collection of the Whitehorse Historical Society. The smokehouse has been reconstructed using original photographs from the Schwerkolt family whilst not on the original location. The cellar however was reconstructed on its original place after archaeological excavations located its existence. This local history museum was opened in 1977 and has had several extensions added to it over the last 15 years. An orchard shed was also constructed in mid 2000.