The Pioneer Cottage is a small museum within one of the oldest surviving houses in Buderim. Built around 1882, the
heritage listed Pioneer Cottage was built for John Kerle Burnett and his family, sometimes called the JK Burnett residence.
Pioneer cottage started with four rooms off a central hallway, a parlour and bedroom at the front and dining room and bedroom at the rear.
The building has been updated a little, such as the original shingled roof has been replaced with a corrugated roof to save on maintenance costs and the stumps and verandah have been replaced.
The verandah originally surrounded the cottage completely, however, parts of the back verandah were closed in for the kitchen and make additional rooms.
Another change to the cottage was to add a couple of rooms in the roof space. These rooms were added with the stairs placed in the hallway. The hallway is very narrow as a result, as is the stairs.
The cottage was to be knocked down for a new home to be built. The owner was allowed to build a new home next to the cottage where she still resides. The cottage was donated to be used as a museum.
The rooms are set out more or less as they would have been used, like the kitchen, bedrooms, sitting room, etc. The displays are very well done, showing relevant artefacts without over presenting.
Many museums have displays with countless items handed to them. Pioneer Cottage add items that contribute to the display, giving the rooms a more authentic feel. I mentioned to one of the volunteers that it is one of the better museum displays I have seen and she said they have won an award for the displays.
Outside the cottage is a slab hut shed with various tools, such as picks, forks, shovels, and the all-important coffee grinder.
