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Old Butter Factory

Author

City of Busselton

Place Number

03568
There no heritage location found in the Google fusion table.

Location

76 Peel Tce Busselton

Location Details

Other Name(s)

Busselton Butter Factory (fmr)
Old Butter Factory / Museum

Local Government

Busselton

Region

South West

Construction Date

Constructed from 2001, Constructed from 1918

Demolition Year

N/A

Statutory Heritage Listings

Type Status Date Documents More information
State Register Registered 24 Apr 2003 Register Entry
Assessment Documentation
Heritage Council

Heritage Council Decisions and Deliberations

Type Status Date Documents
(no listings)

Other Heritage Listings and Surveys

Type Status Date Grading/Management More information
Category Description
Municipal Inventory Adopted 20 Jun 1996 Category 4

Category 4

These places are owned by the City and should be conserved, but special action is not required because the sites are mainly of historic and social value without built features. Some of the sites in this category are largely natural features and simply need to be managed in the ordinary sense of maintenance. Conservation actions may be limited to interpretation and/or site signage.

Statement of Significance

Old Butter Factory, including a brick and weatherboard butter factory building with a corrugated iron roof (1918), a weatherboard and corrugated iron roofed boiler house (c. 1930), smoke stack (1918)
and surrounding Vasse Estuary, has cultural heritage significance as the oldest of only seven places known of the early butter factory in the State and contains some important items of equipment from the early period of operation. The place is a good example of post World War I industrial architecture. The place was crucial to the early development of Busselton’s dairy industry and was assisted by the Group Settlement Scheme following WWI and was important in attempts to make the dairy industry viable. It was historically important as a State government venture to replace the outdated dairy at Fairlawn and to respond to technological change. The place has importance now as a museum and contributes to the community’s sense of place.

Physical Description

The place consists of single and two storey industrial buildings and a number of relocated structures. Utilitarian Style.

The factory is situated on the banks of Vasse River, the complex consists of what was once the factory, which is two storeys in one section and the connected administration buildings. Since its adaptation to a museum, a number of non-related buildings have been relocated to the museum and form part of the museum’s collection. The other items include a machinery display shed, group Settlement structures and school.

History

The Old Butter Factory was established by the State Government from 1918 to replace the earlier and outdated dairy in the Fairlawn district, which was the first butter factory established in Western Australia. It played an important role in the developing economy following World War I and the introduction of the Group Settlement Scheme. In addition to making butter, the place provided ice before the introduction of domestic refrigeration. It changed from butter factory to powdered milk factory in 1960 and then to a museumin1975. Thefactory wascrucial to the development of Busselton as a butter factory and continues to contribute to the town’s vitality in its role as a museum.

Integrity/Authenticity

Integrity Notes: The former function of the place is not readily apparent and its integrity is moderate.

Authenticity Notes: There have been numerous changes and additions made to the place so that it retains a moderate to low degree of authenticity.

Moderate Degree/Moderate-Low Degree

Condition

Fair-Good

State Heritage Office library entries

Library Id Title Medium Year Of Publication
4146 Old Butter Factory Historical Precinct Busselton: An Assessment of the Cultural Significance and a Conservation Plan Heritage Study {Cons'n Plan} 1999
5173 Repairs and minor works to the Old Butter Factory, Busselton / Kornweibel Armstrong Architects. Heritage Study {Other} 2001
10252 Old Butter Factory: 76 Peel Terrace, Busselton Heritage Study {Cons'n Plan} 2014

Place Type

Individual Building or Group

Uses

Epoch General Specific
Original Use INDUSTRIAL\MANUFACTURING Dairy, Butter or Cheese Factory
Present Use EDUCATIONAL Museum
Present Use INDUSTRIAL\MANUFACTURING Other

Architectural Styles

Style
Federation Warehouse

Construction Materials

Type General Specific
Roof METAL Corrugated Iron
Wall TIMBER Weatherboard
Wall BRICK Common Brick

Historic Themes

General Specific
OCCUPATIONS Grazing, pastoralism & dairying
OCCUPATIONS Manufacturing & processing

Creation Date

24 Feb 1995

Publish place record online (inHerit):

Approved

Last Update

03 Jan 2017

Disclaimer

This information is provided voluntarily as a public service. The information provided is made available in good faith and is derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the information is provided solely on the basis that readers will be responsible for making their own assessment of the matters discussed herein and are advised to verify all relevant representations, statements and information.