Taylor’s Cottage

Taylor’s Cottage, a tiny weatherboard dwelling, is in Guildford, Western Australia. It was once the home of Edward Taylor, transported to Western Australia for seven years for the crime of pickpocketing in Birmingham, England.

After completing his sentence at the Toodyay Convict Depot, Edward (aged 37) married local girl Emma (aged 17). They moved to Guildford and lived in this small workman’s cottage at 3 Meadow Street until a brick house was built for the family on the same block. The Taylors had 13 children, although a glimpse inside the cottage shows they could not possibly have lived here at once.

In 1983, the cottage was dismantled and moved to its current location. Operated by the Swan Guildford Historical Society (SGHS), tours of the Cottage and the nearby Colonial Gaol are available three days a week, with a small entry fee payable.

Taylor’s Cottage is less than a 10-minute stroll from Guildford Train Station and close to Guildford’s iconic pubs, cafes, vintage boutiques, and walking trails.

Continue the experience with a visit to the ‘Cradle of the Colony’ Exhibition, curated by the Swan Guildford Historical Society and housed in the Guildford Courthouse Building (Swan Valley Visitor Centre), available daily.