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All monies donated to the National Trust go directly to property conservation and maintenance works, and to special projects and campaigns to safeguard our built and natural environment. In 2011, as in the past, we offer our donors a choice between giving to general restoration needs at Trust properties and choosing a specific project to support. We are particularly seeking funds this year for the following projects:

La Trobe’s Cottage – roof restoration

The oldest surviving building in Melbourne, and one of the most significant in the state, La Trobe’s Cottage was the home of Victoria’s first Lt Governor, Charles Joseph La Trobe. The pre-fabricated cottage was shipped to Australia from England in 1839 and is now situated in Melbourne’s Domain. It contains original furnishings and artefacts. Extensive structural restoration and exterior decoration has been enabled with federal jobs stimulus funding received in 2009. The final section awaiting attention is the shingle roof which is rotting and in need of replacement at a cost of approximately $43,000. A portion of this has already been raised but much more is needed. We urge donors to contribute.

Portarlington Mill – visitor access

The Portarlington Mill is one of the few flourmills, once common in Victoria, to survive from the nineteenth century. An imposing four-storey sandstone structure dating from 1857, the building has been restored by the National Trust and opened regularly to the public by an entirely volunteer workforce. Works of art and valuable artefacts of local history are on exhibition throughout the upper levels of the building. Access to these higher levels is difficult for all but the fittest of visitors and the Trust wishes to install its first elevator, on the exterior of the building, to provide easy entry for all who need it. We ask for your help with this, our first major disability access project.

Como House – structural repairs

Como House, the National Trust’s first property in Victoria, was built in 1847 and reflects the lifestyle of the wealthy squatter elite of the colonial era. The interiors are furnished and decorated with an extensive and original collection from the Armytage family who lived at Como for over ninety years. The restoration of the exterior of the building is urgently needed, a major project which requires significant prior structural repair work. The Trust must raise $800,000 to complete this project and donors are encouraged to give their support.

Rippon Lea – roof restoration

Rippon Lea, the first historic residence to be added to the National Heritage List, is the last of Australia’s great privately-owned nineteenth century suburban estates. The spacious mansion, built in 1868, is situated in the midst of five acres of original Victorian gardens of international significance. Some excellent building restoration work has been undertaken recently but much remains to be done. The roof, in particular, is an urgent priority. The Trust needs $750,000 to replace the deteriorating 1960s Marseilles glazed terracotta roof tiles with orange terracotta shingles as used in the original design, and to repair chimneys and other roofing material and fittings. Again, we ask for your assistance.

The cost of the above projects is considerable, yet they are only a few of the many restoration challenges facing the Trust. Donations from our members and the public will form a vital part of our operating income in this and coming years.