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ABERCROMBIE HOUSE
8 PATTERSON PLACE SOUTH MELBOURNE, PORT PHILLIP CITY

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Victorian Heritage Register
ABERCROMBIE HOUSE SOHE 2008
ABERCROMBIE HOUSE SOHE 2008
ABERCROMBIE HOUSE SOHE 2008
Abercrombie House 399 Coventry St Sth Melbourne Abercrombie Front View Jul 1999
Abercrombie House 399 Coventry St Sth Melbourne Abercrombie Rear View Jul 1999
Abercrombie House 399 Coventry St Sth Melbourne Abercrombie Verandah View Jul 1999
Abercrombie House 399 Coventry St Sth Melbourne Abercrombie Bellhouse Side Detail Jul 1999
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Statement of Significance

The iron house, formerly at 59 Arden Street, North Melbourne, and now at the National Trust Iron House Museum at 399 Coventry Street, South Melbourne, was most probably manufactured by Morewood and Rogers of London as a four room gable roof cottage with front veranda and intended for export to the British colonies. Andrew Abercrombie erected this portable iron house in North Melbourne in 1853. A brick kitchen was added prior to 1858.

Portable iron houses were manufactured in great numbers in Great Britain in the mid-19th century, largely to meet exigencies of accommodation in the colonies at this time. The iron house at North Melbourne is a unique survivor of a building type erected in great numbers in this area of Melbourne; and a rare example of a portable iron cottage in the world. These structures, historically important in representing a short lived period of frantic settlement during the Victorian gold rushes, are of great significance to the history of industrial technology.

The iron house has been removed and located at the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) iron house museum in South Melbourne. The fabric is in good condition with important archaeological data preserved during the removal operations undertaken in 1979. The building is of world significance.

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    • Permit Exemptions

      ABERCROMBIE HOUSE - Permit Exemptions

      General Exemptions:

      General exemptions apply to all places and objects included in the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR). General exemptions have been designed to allow everyday activities, maintenance and changes to your property, which don’t harm its cultural heritage significance, to proceed without the need to obtain approvals under the Heritage Act 2017.

      Places of worship: In some circumstances, you can alter a place of worship to accommodate religious practices without a permit, but you must notify the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria before you start the works or activities at least 20 business days before the works or activities are to commence.

      Subdivision/consolidation: Permit exemptions exist for some subdivisions and consolidations. If the subdivision or consolidation is in accordance with a planning permit granted under Part 4 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and the application for the planning permit was referred to the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria as a determining referral authority, a permit is not required.

      Specific exemptions may also apply to your registered place or object. If applicable, these are listed below. Specific exemptions are tailored to the conservation and management needs of an individual registered place or object and set out works and activities that are exempt from the requirements of a permit. Specific exemptions prevail if they conflict with general exemptions.

      Find out more about heritage permit exemptions here.

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