This cottage is a bit of a mystery. I thought Pug ‘n Pine was just the quirky name the estate agent gave this totally dilapidated building to make it sound appealing. But a quick google search tells me not. Pug and pine was apparently a common technique used by early settlers to build homes. Native pine trunks were inserted vertically into the ground and the gaps filled with ‘pug’ (a mix of mud, straw and clay). This method of building is also evident in the main church, so it is nice to discover what it is and also what we need to do to fix the cottage (although that is a long way off).
Time Capsule
My youngest daughter takes credit for this discovery, which was tucked in the corner of the cottage. Dating back to 1981, it’s hardly ancient (despite what my daughter thinks), but it is an exciting find and provides us with some answers.
The letter is from a young woman (Sylvia) travelling South Australia by horse and cart intending to live the life of an early settler.
The letter gives us some (hopefully) accurate dates as to when the churches and schoolhouse were built. The letter indicates that the Settler’s Cottage may just be a replica built in the 1980s (or possibly there was an original cottage, and the renovation began in the 1980s). Sylvia will be in her early sixties now and it would be wonderful to locate her…so if anyone knows a Sylvia Admiraal born in 1961, please get in touch.
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