[1][2] The cottage was constructed out of prefabricated materials imported from England[3] on 50,000 square metres (540,000 sq ft) of land at Jolimont, near where the Melbourne Cricket Ground now stands.

[1] When the colony achieved independence from New South Wales in 1851 La Trobe was made the first Lieutenant-Governor of Victoria and, although land had been reserved in Kings Domain as the site for a future Government House, he remained living with his family in this cottage at Jolimont until his departure for England in 1854.

[6] They published another illustration based on a photograph provided by its then owner H. W. Patton and repeated Sharps' contention that the cottage had also been the home of Charles Perry, the first Anglican bishop of Melbourne, and Hugh Childers, a Chancellor of the Exchequer in the United Kingdom.

[8] Daniel Bedggood agreed to a proposal by the 'Early Pioneers Association', who were 'interested in the old edifice as a relic of Australian history', that the intended demolition be delayed 'for a few days' so that 'leading citizens', including the mayor, Premier William Watt and state governor Sir Arthur Stanley, could visit the site.

[3][8][9] During the visit there were a number of speakers about the cottage and its history and the governor was reported as saying that 'Old landmarks disappeared with the advance of a progressive city' but he hoped 'some kind of mural record should be placed' on the boot factory extension.

[12] Later that year The Argus newspaper reproduced one of Bateman's sketches adding that 'until recently the remains' of the cottage 'were still standing at the rear of the factory of Bedggood and Co. Pty.

Evelyn received reader replies, including one from a representative of the Historical Society of Victoria, that the removed building had belonged to a Thomas Elder Boyd, not La Trobe.

[21] In making the doorstops 'Mrs Colville covers the sides and back with green felt, and on the front is a small copper plate bearing the inscription "Brick from residence of Victoria's first Governor, 1839."'

[21] Also available for sale were 'other interesting relics from the cottage' including '5 windows with wood and metal frames', 3 doors, '10 panel wall sections' and 'one pair of cedar shutters'.

[21] Before the 1956 Summer Olympics, that were held in Melbourne, a letter to editor remarked on the 'sorry condition' of the cottage with its roof 'thick with rust, the walls dingy with grime, the garden untidy' and expressed the hope it would be 'tidied up before the Games'.