Portable Iron Houses Open Day
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Discover what life was like in Melbourne during the gold rush era at the Portable Iron Houses, which are some of the world’s last remaining nineteenth-century prefabricated buildings.
When gold was discovered in Victoria in 1851, thousands of migrants flocked in. Canvas Town (tent city) sprawled between Port Melbourne and Princes Bridge, so during the housing crisis even a small iron house felt like luxury.
Ordered from a catalogue, these houses were constructed in Britain, packed into crates, dismantled, shipped across the world and reassembled on arrival — no specialist labour needed. By 1855, South Melbourne was filled with nearly 100 of them.
Today, Patterson House, Abercrombie House and Bellhouse survive as rare, tangible links to this remarkable chapter in Victoria’s history.
🗓️Open Sunday 7 December
🕐1pm–4pm
📍399 Coventry St, South Melbourne (Bunurong / Boon Wurrung Country)
🎟️Adults $10 | Concession $7 | Child $5 | Family $22
🆓National Trust members FREE
Book your visit at https://www.nationaltrust.org.au/places/portable-iron-houses/
When gold was discovered in Victoria in 1851, thousands of migrants flocked in. Canvas Town (tent city) sprawled between Port Melbourne and Princes Bridge, so during the housing crisis even a small iron house felt like luxury.
Ordered from a catalogue, these houses were constructed in Britain, packed into crates, dismantled, shipped across the world and reassembled on arrival — no specialist labour needed. By 1855, South Melbourne was filled with nearly 100 of them.
Today, Patterson House, Abercrombie House and Bellhouse survive as rare, tangible links to this remarkable chapter in Victoria’s history.
🗓️Open Sunday 7 December
🕐1pm–4pm
📍399 Coventry St, South Melbourne (Bunurong / Boon Wurrung Country)
🎟️Adults $10 | Concession $7 | Child $5 | Family $22
🆓National Trust members FREE
Book your visit at https://www.nationaltrust.org.au/places/portable-iron-houses/
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Where is it happening?
Portable Iron Houses, 399 Coventry St,Melbourne,VIC,Australia
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
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Host or PublisherNational Trust of Australia (Victoria)
