Conserving the Past, Enriching the Future
The pugging is completed! Next step – limewashing.
Welcome to Rechner Cottage
Rechner Cottage, in Light Pass, South Australia is a State Heritage Listed Cottage of architectural and social significance. Browse the website, and discover more about the cottage and the village it stands in. Explore the stories of the past, and follow along with the progress of the conservation.
The Cottage
It is a heritage-listed place of architectural and social significance. What is so special about the cottage that makes it worth saving?
GJ Rechner
Who was GJ Rechner, the man the cottage is named for? Learn more about him, his life, his work and his legacy.
Join the Footings Campaign
Supporters are helping Rechner Cottage keep it’s feet on the ground! And dedicating a ‘foot of footings’ in their name or in someone’s memory. Be part of this special campaign!
The conservation work begins.
The old (1957) roof is removed.
A room with a sky view!
Putting on the new roof
The glare is blinding - but it will soften over time.
Discussing what to do.
Careful studying of the footings.
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The verandah footings are left exposed to show the wear.
Media coverage was welcomed.
Working on the main footings
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The pugging was a big step.
Our heritage builder explains the process.
Young and old came to help pug.
Pugging takes team work!
Re mixing the original 1800's pug to re-use.
Some of our volunteer puggers.
The pugging completed, ready for limewashing
The conservation
After lots of hard work, the future is looking much brighter for this lovely cottage but we’re not quite there yet. Click on the buttons below to see where we are up to, and here to find out how you can help.
Where are we up to?
We are getting so near the end! The groundwork is done, the structure is stabilized, the new roof is on, the footings are completed and the pugging is done (it looks fantastic!). The next step is the limewashing, and then we need to do some landscaping, drainage, and put up signage to tell the story of the cottage. Click on the buttons to see what is being done at each stage.
Light Pass Village
Rechner Cottage is situated in the small village of Light Pass, in South Australia’s beautiful Barossa Valley. Light Pass has a rich history and is home to many historic buildings.
There is plenty to discover in this lovely village. Explore it in person or virtually by using the free Barossa Heritage Trails App. 
About Light Pass
Significant Buildings
Stories
Help and support the conservation of the cottage
Shop Our Fund Raising Items
Donate
Grants Organisations
100% of the money raised goes towards the conservation of the cottage.
Are you interested in heritage buildings, the conservation process, or the stories of people who lived long ago? Browse through these pages and discover treasures of the past.
What is pug?
What is 'pug'? Rechner Cottage is often called 'Pug Cottage', but where does the term come from? 'Pugging' is a construction technique, used to create walls. It is a variation of wattle and daub construction, a method which has been around for over 6000 years....
Rechner Cottage, and German Fachwerk.
Rechner Cottage is a rare Australian example of German fachwerk. But just what is fachwerk? Fachwerk is a method of building construction that has been used around the world for thousands of years. It consists of a wooden frame which is built of load-bearing timbers,...
Family Tour of the Migration Museum
October 12th 2021: Our recent tour of the migration museum was a great day out! Naturally we all had to admire the GJ Rechner paving stone in Settlement Square. It was also fascinating hearing stories of the various immigrants to South Australia, who have brought so...
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