The Diamantina - Home page

Overview

The Pise House (Mud Hut) was built in 1896 by Mary Brodie who came to the district in the mid-1880s with her husband. After he died suddenly, she purchased the Royal Hotel and by 1890, she was effectively running the town of Bedourie, listed as the local butcher, postmistress, storekeeper, wine and spirit merchant and licensee of the Royal Hotel.

Mary soon remarried and when her second husband died from Bright's Disease, she inherited enough money to build the Pise House (Mud Hut). This house was built of rammed earth and mud collected from Eyre Creek. The only other buildings from that time still standing are the Royal Hotel, across the road, and the Indigenous Trackers Hut, which now stands behind. It is a rare surviving example in the region of this type of construction.

At the end of the 1800s, Pise House (Mud Hut) passed into the possession of Sir Sidney Kidman - the Cattle King.

Pise House (Mud Hut) was purchased by Diamantina Shire Council in 2001 from Jean Smith and has since been fully restored with most of the original timber replaced.