The National Trust declared 2006 the Year of La Trobe, recognising the key role of Charles Joseph La Trobe (left), Superintendent of the Port Phillip district of New South Wales from 1839 - 1851 and Lieutenant-Governor of Victoria 1851-1854.

Several books on La Trobe were launched during 2006 including his diaries, an examination of his life and a study of his garden.

Charles La Trobe had a civilising vision for Victoria and was responsible for many of the key cultural aspects of Melbourne - its library, university, museum, hospital and extensive parklands - but it is was only in 2006 that a statue was erected to acknowledge his legacy following a campaign led by the La Trobe Society and the Trust.

Pictured: Dr Charles La Trobe Blake from Liverpool Hope University, with the new statue of his great-great-grandfather in the forecourt of the State Library of Victoria.

His home La Trobe's Cottage is now a National Trust property available for tours by appointment and open on Sundays as advertised. The cottage has been relocated from its original site at Jolimont to Dallas Brooks Drive, South Yarra, but contains many pieces which belonged to La Trobe and his family.

Pictured: During a recent visit to Australia Dr Charles La Trobe Blake, the great-great-grandson of C J La Trobe, plants a rose at La Trobe's Cottage, part of a plan by the Trust to re-create aspects of the garden.

The Trust’s touring exhibition of La Trobe’s watercolour paintings A Sketcher of No Mean Pretensions: Charles Joseph La Trobe, the Governor and the Artist toured regional Victoria during 2006 and 2007.

La Trobe’s artistic work documents the landscape and architecture from his travels throughout Switzerland, North America, Mexico and parts of Eastern Australia during the 1800s.

The exhibition opened at La Trobe University Art Museum and visited Latrobe Regional Art Gallery (Morwell) the Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery and the Art Gallery of Hamilton.

The National Trust was very grateful to The Gordon Darling Foundation and the Victorian Government through Arts Victoria and the Community Support Fund for their support of this project.

La Trobe cards and bookmarks, featuring the 1855 portrait by Sir Francis Grant, are available at La Trobe's Cottage, or from Tasma Terrace, 4 Parliament Place, East Melbourne (03) 9656 9800. The exhibition catalogue compiled by Elizabeth Mitford (24 pages, with coloured illustrations and an introduction by Dr Dianne Reilly) was published by The National Trust but is now out of print.