Mudbrick House at Poverty Patch

Statement of Significance

The house relates to the early Bullfinch pioneers and the discovery of gold in the area. The holding was taken up and named "Poverty Patch" by Bob Mann and Dick Kelly (brother of Lionel Kelly MLA). The original cement brick house was built by Arthur Laslett. F J Mann ("Pompy"), a cousin of Dorrie Doolette, set up a business in Bullfinch in about 1925 and moved to the "Patch". It has been said that a lot of money was put into the home, leaving not much capital for farming. The family struggled for years and eventually went bankrupt, as did many farmers on these small holdings. Later, Norm and Sylvia Young's dairy on the property supplied fresh milk to mining people during the lat 50s and early 60s. There was also an abattoir, leased to a local butcher, on the property. The Taylor family lived in the house for a few years but it has remained unoccupied for twenty years.

Physical Description

The house, which was once very majestic, is located in a paddock and is in very poor condition. It was made from mudbrick and mud mortar, cement-rendered and scored with a brick pattern. The corrugated iron hipped roof extended out over wide, partially enclosed verandahs. In the posts on one side of the verandah there were holes to enable hammocks to be strung between them to catch the breeze. The floors were cement and there is an old cellar which was used for dairy products. The original ornate ceilings were hessian and paper, later destroyed in a fire.

History

Themes: Demographic Settlement

Integrity/Authenticity

Completely intact

Condition

Poor

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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