THE STONE COTTAGE
Cottage before Restoration
Cottage after Restoration 2013
Johann Schaefer came to Australia in the barque “Caesar” which brought a full complement of German immigrants from Hamburg in 1855. His wife accompanied him and they lived at Broadwater and Woombah before purchasing this land from George Watson in 1879.
After Johann Schaefer’s death in 1905 the cottage was occupied by Mary Gregory whose daughter Minnie married Garibaldi Tyler well known photographer and business man in Maclean and whose daughter Bessie was a very popular teacher here. Mrs. Gregory died in 1915 and the cottage was subsequently occupied by a succession of tenants. It was acquired by Maclean Shire Council and given to the Historical Society for development as a Museum in 1973.
In 2013 the Stone Cottage (see right hand image above) had a facelift this year. It now has a new roof, new verandah rails and wires and stone wall re-pointed.
It has been returned to a "living history" replica of a typical home from the turn of the century. It contains many working models.