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MOTTS COTTAGE
5 SACKVILLE STREET PORT FAIRY, MOYNE SHIRE

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Victorian Heritage Register
MOTTS COTTAGE SOHE 2008
MOTTS COTTAGE SOHE 2008
MOTTS COTTAGE SOHE 2008
1 motts cottage sacville street port fairy front garden
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Statement of Significance

What is significant?
Motts Cottage, named after the owner and occupant, Sarah Jane Mott from 1918 until 1944, is located within the main street grid of Port Fairy. The Mott family worked as fishermen, boatmen and labourers in Port Fairy. The oldest part, the single storey, two-room timber section may date from about the time the town was surveyed and laid out in 1845, or even before since it is skew to the street. The two storey stone section was built before 1856 when Mrs Jane Chastel leased the property. Another tenant, John Hooper, a successful stone mason purchased the property from Atkinson's Special Survey sale in 1885 and subsequently he, or his daughter Caroline, ran it as a boarding house, perhaps the reason for a skillion addition at the rear, used as the kitchen. Another room and simple cast iron trimmed verandah were added at the front possibly at the same time, but were since removed when the cottage, purchased by the National Trust in 1973, was converted to its current use as a house museum in 1977. The garden gazebo was built in the early 1990s to house a sundial. The house is relatively intact to the 1860s period and is in good condition.

How is it significant?
Motts Cottage is of architectural and historical importance to the State of Victoria.

Why is it significant?
Architecturally, the cottage demonstrates humble vernacular construction techniques in timber and stone.

Historically it reinforces the modest character of a pioneering town of national significance.

[Online Data Upgrade Project 2001]

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    • History

      MOTTS COTTAGE - History

      REGISTER OF THE NATIONAL ESTATE - CITATION MOTT'S COTTAGE AT 5 SACKVILLE
      STREET, PORT FAIRY, WAS CONSTRUCTED IN SEVERAL STAGES, POSSIBLY FOR LOCAL
      STONEMASON JOHN HOOPER. IT IS HELD THAT THE FRONT WEATHERBOARD COTTAGE WITH
      SHINGLE ROOF WAS BUILT C.1845 THE MIDDLE RUBBLE STONE ATTIC SECTION ABOUT
      1860, AND THE REAR TIMBER SKILLION IN 1890. ALTHOUGH LEGEND HAS IT THAT
      WHALERS MOTT AND STEPHENSON OCCUPIED THE HOUSE, THE CLAIM IS UNSUBSTANTIATED.
      MOTT'S COTTAGE AT PORT FAIRY IS UNDOUBTEDLY ONE OF THE EARLIEST SURVIVING
      COTTAGES IN THE TOWNSHIP AND OF LOCAL HISTORICAL INTEREST AS A 'WHALER'S
      COTTAGE TYPE'. THE STRUCTURE, ALTHOUGH CONSIDERABLY ENHANCED AND OPEN TO
      MISINTERPRETATION, SURVIVES IN A RESTORED CONDITION TO INDICATE THE GENERAL
      FORM OF VERNACULAR BUILDING TRADITIONS IN THE EARLY YEARS OF SETTLEMENT OF
      WESTERN VICTORIA.
      MOTT'S COTTAGE HAS BEEN RESTORED BY THE NATIONAL TRUST OF AUSTRALIA (VICTORIA)
      AS A MUSEUM HOUSE. OF LOCAL SIGNIFICANCE.

      Permit Exemptions

      MOTTS COTTAGE - 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.

      Specific Exemptions:

      General Conditions: 1. All exempted alterations are to be planned and carried out in a manner which prevents damage to the fabric of the registered place or object. General Conditions: 2. Should it become apparent during further inspection or the carrying out of works that original or previously hidden or inaccessible details of the place or object are revealed which relate to the significance of the place or object, then the exemption covering such works shall cease and Heritage Victoria shall be notified as soon as possible. Note: All archaeological places have the potential to contain significant sub-surface artefacts and other remains. In most cases it will be necessary to obtain approval from the Executive Director, Heritage Victoria before the undertaking any works that have a significant sub-surface component. General Conditions: 3. If there is a conservation policy and planall works shall be in accordance with it. Note:A Conservation Management Plan or a Heritage Action Plan provides guidance for the management of the heritage values associated with the site. It may not be necessary to obtain a heritage permit for certain works specified in the management plan. General Conditions: 4. Nothing in this determination prevents the Executive Director from amending or rescinding all or any of the permit exemptions. General Conditions: 5. Nothing in this determination exempts owners or their agents from the responsibility to seek relevant planning or building permits from the responsible authorities where applicable. Minor Works : Note: Any Minor Works that in the opinion of the Executive Director will not adversely affect the heritage significance of the place may be exempt from the permit requirements of the Heritage Act. A person proposing to undertake minor works must submit a proposal to the Executive Director. If the Executive Director is satisfied that the proposed works will not adversely affect the heritage values of the site, the applicant may be exempted from the requirement to obtain a heritage permit. If an applicant is uncertain whether a heritage permit is required, it is recommended that the permits co-ordinator be contacted.

      Permit Exemption Policy

      MOTTS COTTAGE - Permit Exemption Policy



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