St James Cottage circa 1870
In 2012, 11 years after first moving to Port Melbourne, my husband Zeno and I together with our beautiful boy Luke then just 6 years old, made the move north across the borough from Beacon Cove to Heath St to bring back to life St James Cottage.
The previous owner had detailed our new homes’ name and date of construction (though the date likely to be a bit of a guess we thought!).
The original floorboards were sanded back and sealed, period cornices and ceiling roses restored. During much needed restumping of the front room, the original hearth of the long gone fireplace was discovered.
Walking down the property’s adjacent laneway after a significant downpour one day, I noticed a small piece of glass glistening in the now sunny day. On closer inspection I discovered it was actually a fragment of porcelain with a pattern on it.
Luke and I found in total 6 pieces of patterned ceramics. I referred the items to Heritage Victoria and was thrilled to be told that they dated back to the 1860s.
Needing more space for our growing 10 year old, in March 2016, St James Cottage went to auction. We wish the new owners and St James Cottage itself all the best for the future.
Natalie Kobica
