Firstly...are you sure they are jarrah and not som other more exotic timber? If you are fortunate enough to have a genuine 1932 built cottage I say "Don't Do it!" Just look at the beautiful timber in that floor! It would be sinful to paint it. I have a 1924 cottage with beautiful hoop pine floorboards all from the day it was built. My suggestion is to have the boards sanded and polished. I would not even dare go near them with polyurethane. I have turned back the clock and used the methods of the period of the house...a mix of pale boiled linseed oil and kero. Put it on with a mop or a deck mop or a wool mop leave it soak in. Re-do and leave it soak in,,,( you won't get patches...the floors will just soak it up.) Third coat, add a bit of turps to the mix as a white ant deterrent. Then, when the floors look like they've soaked up enough, get a big old fashioned string mop...if you can find one...or use a deck scrubber and old towels...or even a wad of new ones...100% cotton...its worth it, and rub off as much of the surplus as possible...wear sox so you will notice when the sox do not get oil stained anymore. First go is a long process but you will be really pleased when the floors have had several "drinks". After that you could get just an ordinary floor varnish or oil or just a sealant. Some of the modern wood treatments are really good. Then, every so often do the boards over with your "Oil Mop". You will never find timber like that again and, in my experience, it adds to the value of the house big time. Do what you like to any gyprock and plastered walls but PLEASE love your floorboards and any natural timber...especially from that era. I've been in this old cottage for 32 years. Everyone wants to know where I sourced the "new" floorboards", and who did I get to make my silky oak windows! Hope that helps.

Hullo HW. No, I'm sorry I don't have any suggestions on secondhand dealers to contact. Because I'm in the West of Vic I don't know much about the "Big Smoke" that is the glorious capital of our State. I would have to start from scratch researching who to contact, same as you. I do know of one bloke in Winchelsea who moves houses out of Melbourne and does some trading in "bits" of old houses. He had the most magnificent couloured glass fanlight that I coveted but had nowhere to fit or store at the time. My husband will remember his name (I don't, of course) when I can ask him I'll put it on here.

Oh! Fun! Squeaky floorboards have a few easy fixes. Well, 'easy' is a bit subjective. You have to get under the floorboards, in most cases, which is not always simple. Then, try using wooden wedges and hammering them into gaps. Nail a piece of 2x4 along a joist to help with spongy boards that have too much movement. You might even add a nail from the top into the joist to fix the worst ones that are not fixed by the first two methods. This video might also help...

I would think the right colour putty would be a good solution for this. Someone else here may have had experience, if it is not too late?