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Built for the Bush, an exhibition from the Historic Houses Trust of NSW, was officially opened at Deniliquin’s Peppin Heritage Centre on Friday night.

About 30 people attended the opening, including Deniliquin couple John and Jan Macknight who feature in the exhibition.

Bishops Lodge in Hay is another local property to feature in the photographic exhibition, along with several others from the Riverina.

It explore the homes built by early settlers through to their counterparts in architecture today.

It reveals that in terms of energy efficiency, Australia’s 19th Century settler houses were far superior to today’s modern homes.

‘Built for the Bush: Green Architecture of Australia’ has been touring regional NSW since November 2009.

For Australia’s early rural settlers, building simple, energy efficient homes was a necessity due to their limited access to materials, skills and resources.

Now in the 21st Century, traditional 19th-century practices are inspiring a new generation to return to these low-energy solutions and minimise the environmental impact of modern housing.

The exhibition highlights the benefits of early settler ways that used earth and timber; natural materials that were close at hand and easily worked.

Simple house designs used light and air for their heating and cooling properties and water, the most essential resource for survival, was carefully captured and conserved.

Built for the Bush will be on display at Peppin Heritage Centre until April 15.