The house now also has its first occupant, a medical student from the University of Wollongong, who moved in last weekend.

Initial work to the cottage began 12 months ago and since then the house has been transformed to its original splendour.

The first stage of the restoration project was the demolition of the later additions and alterations and reinstating the front veranda, and restoring the interior of the cottage.

The second stage included the construction of a short breezeway and a new bathroom/laundry area at the rear of the site.

The only thing left to do at the site is the landscaping of the lawns and gardens.

Leeton Shire Council environmental health and building surveyor Ben Lang was pleased the work on the building had been completed.

"It is all looking really good at the moment," he said.

"The carport was painted on Friday and the concrete poured for the footpath out the front was also completed on Friday.

"We are pretty happy that everything has all fallen into place, especially since there was a period there when we though the restoration wasn't going to happen."

The building is an original type A irrigation cottage built between 1912 and 1913 that underwent extension in 1930 and major renovations in 1994.

Henry Lawson, one of Australia's best known poets, lived in Leeton from January 1916 to August 1917.

He was to be given two guineas a week and a house in return for articles and poems publicising the MIA.

After nearly being demolished when a heritage grant was refused, a state-wide outcry resulted in funds being made available from government and the community for its restoration.

The official opening of the cottage will be put back until the medical student currently residing in the house finishes her placement in Leeton.

"We don't want to invade her privacy by having an opening while she is there," Mr Lang said.

"Council is just glad the work is almost done, with the landscaping due to be completed in about two weeks.

"If it weren't for us housing these medical students at the cottage, we would never have secured the grants and funding required to finish the work."

The cottage is the last house Henry Lawson lived in that remains standing.