Heritage Home Renovation

The house was originally hand-built as a two-room brick cottage by Charles Wingrove in approximately 1858.

It was extended a number of times during the years, reaching its present size around 1870. When Cameron Construction purchased the property in 2004, the cottage was derelict having been unoccupied for a number of years. It had a leaking roof, rotted floorboards, unstable brickwork, and was home to a number of possums. The rear wing had been partly demolished, leaving a mess of concrete slabs behind with a garden that was almost non-existent.

The cottage was extensively repaired, with particular attention paid to retaining as much of the original materials as possible. The northern brick gable was cracked due to an inadequate lintel, which required partial rebuilding. The bricks were all numbered before removal, to ensure the repaired wall was rebuilt as close as possible to the original wall. Other bricks were crumbling, so they were replaced with hand-made bricks found on the site.

Timber veranda posts, beams and brackets were replaced where necessary, with special sections made to match the original. The cottage was planned to be leased as a commercial tenancy, so the kitchen was replaced with a small sink unit and the bathroom converted to include a disabled toilet.

A new front garden and fence were constructed with the assistance of old photos and historic records to guide the design. The original bluestone-lined open drainage channel running along the north side of the cottage was cleared and retained, then completed with appropriate flora and two small footbridges.

We are proud to have completed the restoration of the historic Wingrove Cottage, to ensure its continued survival for the next century. Cameron Construction is excited by heritage renovation and restoration projects such as this and looks forward to everyone with great anticipation.