While the potential of the stunning Grampians region as a tourist attraction was acknowledged in the 19th century, it wasn't until the 1930's, when motorized transport was adequately available, and the construction of a recreational park by the enterprising Walter Zumstein that it was popularized as a holiday destination. Even with these transport links to Horsham, Hall's Gap and surrounding regional towns, the cost of importing traditional building materials overland was prohibitive and encouraged Zumstein to use rammed earth, or pise, as an unusual alternative building material. The cottages were used as tourist accommodation and distinguished from one another by the brightly painted lintels over their main entrances. It was not uncommon for hundreds of visitors to converge on the area for the New Year period, and they are heritage listed for their "social value to a generation of campers and holiday-makers.
Whilst the building fabric has weather the 80+ years since construction well, unfortunately poor drainage and failed waterproofing, combined with recent flood events in the region, necessitated complex remedial action. Cracking, erosion and decay of the pise material and associated instability, rising and falling damp and the beginnings of termite activity were evident upon inspection, and all but the last of these attributed to water ingress. Battering uphill of all three cottages is extremely close to the structures and this contributes to the drainage problem, although swales provided immediately behind these batters appear to be largely functional. Ultimately it was recommended that this contouring be further cut back from the buildings to accommodate both better clearance and the installation of additional drainage systems at its base.
Once the drainage had been improved, and then a period of 12 months observed to allow the drying out of the walls, secondary structural and aesthetic issues such as replacing the zincalume roof and gutters with galvanised material, replacing rot- and termite-affected timber members, and the specialist repair of the pise, could be addressed.
