Buckingham Creamery and Residence

Statement of Significance

The residence is an attractive weatherboard and iron building with a distinct cottage form and exhibits characteristics typical of its age and style, including a symmetrical front elevation, a steeply-pitched hipped iron roof that incorporates a skillion verandah, and tall masonry chimneys. The place has historic value as an early purpose-built creamery building, constructed in a vernacular style using adobe brick. The place is associated with the Buckingham family, who were prominent pioneers in the Armadale district and whose efforts and resources contributed to the development of the district. The place is believed to be one of only a few remaining buildings of its type and age still extant in the Metropolitan area.

Physical Description

The place comprises a single-room building constructed with adobe walls and a corrugated iron gable roof. The building stands on a plinth of local stone, and has a concrete floor. The gable ends are infilled with timber and fibro, and a small louvred window is located in the upper gable of the north elevation. The north elevation also contains another wooden window and a door.The former creamery building is located immediately adjacent to the original single-storey weatherboard residence (c. 1912), but is partly concealed by a tall timber fence and a recently-constructed timber and iron carport structure. The residence has a distinct cottage form, with a symmetrical front elevation featuring a pair of timber- framed windows either side of the central doorway. The building has a steeply-pitched hipped roof that incorporates a skillion verandah across the front elevation, and a pair of tall masonry chimneys positioned either side of the ridge. The verandah is timber-framed, with vertical timber balustrading and central timber steps. The whole building is raised upon timber stumps, with timber battening to the subfloor area.

History

This building was likely to have been constructed around the same time as the residence (1912), by Frederick Buckingham, who ran milk cows on the 66-acre property, known as the Pennyroyal Dairy. After Frederick’’s death in 1926, the milking herd was substantially reduced in number, sufficient for the provision of small quantities of milk, cream and butter for domestic consumption. By 1934, the creamery building was used mainly for storage.

Integrity/Authenticity

Moderate-High High

Condition

Good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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