THE Curator’s Cottage at the Portland Botanic Gardens is a great example of the city’s history – and after more than two years the public will finally get another chance to have a look inside.

That’s because the Portland Historical Society has decided to reopen the cottage – which houses its collection – this weekend, with the promise of more to come.

It has been closed since the coronavirus pandemic began in March 2020.

The cottage was first occupied in 1859 by the first curator of the gardens, William Allitt, and remained the curator’s home for 100 years.

It became a museum in 1965.

Cottage manager Stephanie Plowman said it would open from Saturday to Tuesday from 11am to 3pm.

“At this point we’re going to do the long weekend to coincide with the Upwelling Festival,” she said.

“Depending on how many visitors we get, we’re hoping to re-open a couple of days a week permanently.”

But that would also depend on more volunteers.

“We’re always looking for people to help,” Ms Plowman said.

“We’re actually quite desperate.

“We used to open up to five days a week years and years ago.

“We’re an aging group and like everyone else it’s getting more and more difficult to get volunteers but we really need to encourage more people in, and we have lost a couple of members.”

Ms Plowman said both history buffs and those without any knowledge of Portland’s past were welcome.

“I didn’t know anything when I started and I’ve learned a lot,” she said.

“It’s also something nice to do, it’s not hard and only a few hours a week.

“You get to meet a lot of locals and visitors and it’s a pleasant place.”

Ms Plowman said if there were enough volunteers, the Society could open up the top storey of the cottage, which hadn’t been done for many years.

“We’d really love to open it again,” she said.

Anyone interested in joining the Society can call Stephanie Plowman on 0488 036 040.