Windback Wednesday - Cob Cottage

Do you know what material a cob building uses?

The cottage in this photograph, of three rooms, was built circa 1850 and was one of the earliest residences in the area. The village of Burnside was laid out in 1849 and by 1883 it included 45 houses, several shops, a hotel, two churches and a tram service.

The word ‘cob’ derives form an old English word meaning lump or rounded mass. Cob building is a mix of lumps of dirt with sand and straw, sculpted into a clay.

To discover more about the history of Burnside visit https://www.burnside.sa.gov.au/About-Council/About-Us/Our-History/Our-History-Video-Series

Photo: An early cob cottage in the village of Burnside, circa 1876.