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FORMER COWWARR BUTTER FACTORY
2730 TRARALGON-MAFFRA ROAD COWWARR, WELLINGTON SHIRE

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Victorian Heritage Register
FORMER COWWARR BUTTER FACTORY SOHE 2008
FORMER COWWARR BUTTER FACTORY SOHE 2008
FORMER COWWARR BUTTER FACTORY SOHE 2008
1 former cowwarr butter factory main road cowwarr north east side
former cowwarr butter factory cowwarr plan
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Statement of Significance

What is significant?

The former Cowwarr Butter Factory is a one and two-storey reinforced concrete building, constructed in 1918 to replace an earlier cheese and butter factory. The building was constructed in the Arts and Crafts style. The butter factory was built in an era which saw many small butter factories constructed in dairying areas. Improvement in road transport and the handling of milk in bulk led to the closure of all but the largest and most centrally located factories. The Cowwarr factory ceased operations as a factory in 1959 and is now used as an art gallery.

How is it significant?

The former Cowwarr Butter Factory is of architectural and historical importance to the State of Victoria.

Why is it significant?

The former Cowwarr Butter Factory is architecturally significant as a rare example of an industrial building employing Arts and Crafts design traditions. The distinctive styling and concrete construction define the building as an extraordinary example of a factory, particularly in the context of the many other cheese butter factories built in Victoria in the early 20th century. The Cowwarr factory is important as an architecturally distinctive building which still retains elements of its original butter factory form, particularly the boiler mountings, draft channels and chimney.

The former Cowwarr Butter Factory is historically significant for its associations with the Gippsland dairy industry which has been of critical importance to the development of the region and the State.

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    • Permit Exemptions

      FORMER COWWARR BUTTER FACTORY - Permit Exemptions

      General Exemptions:

      General exemptions apply to all places and objects included in the Victorian Heritage Register (VHR). General exemptions have been designed to allow everyday activities, maintenance and changes to your property, which don’t harm its cultural heritage significance, to proceed without the need to obtain approvals under the Heritage Act 2017.

      Places of worship: In some circumstances, you can alter a place of worship to accommodate religious practices without a permit, but you must notify the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria before you start the works or activities at least 20 business days before the works or activities are to commence.

      Subdivision/consolidation: Permit exemptions exist for some subdivisions and consolidations. If the subdivision or consolidation is in accordance with a planning permit granted under Part 4 of the Planning and Environment Act 1987 and the application for the planning permit was referred to the Executive Director of Heritage Victoria as a determining referral authority, a permit is not required.

      Specific exemptions may also apply to your registered place or object. If applicable, these are listed below. Specific exemptions are tailored to the conservation and management needs of an individual registered place or object and set out works and activities that are exempt from the requirements of a permit. Specific exemptions prevail if they conflict with general exemptions.

      Find out more about heritage permit exemptions here.

      Specific Exemptions:

      General Conditions:
      1. All exempted alterations are to be planned and carried out in a manner which prevents damage to the fabric of the registered place or object.
      2. Should it become apparent during further inspection or the carrying out of alterations that original or previously hidden or inaccessible details of the place or object are revealed which relate to the significance of the place or object, then the exemption covering such alteration shall cease and the Executive Director shall be notified as soon as possible.
      3. If there is a conservation policy and plan approved by the Executive Director, all works shall be in accordance with it.
      4. Nothing in this declaration prevents the Executive Director from amending or rescinding all or any of the permit exemptions.
      5. Nothing in this declaration exempts owners or their agents from the responsibility to seek relevant planning or building permits from the responsible authority where applicable.


      Interior Decoration
      * Interior painting/wall papering to walls and ceilings, provided the preparation work for painting/papering does not remove evidence of the building's original paint or decorative scheme.
      * Removal of existing carpets/ flexible floor coverings.
      * Installation of carpets and flexible floor covering.
      * Installation of curtain track, rod, blinds and other window dressings.
      * Installation of hooks, nails and other devices for the hanging of paintings, mirrors and other wall mounted works of art.

      Refurbishment of Bathrooms, Toilets, Kitchens
      * Refurbishment of bathroom/toilet including removal of existing sanitary fixtures and associated piping, mirrors and floor coverings, and installation of new fixtures, and wall and floor coverings.
      * Removal of existing any benches or fixtures (stoves, dishwashers etc.) and floor coverings and installation of new benches and fixtures, including associated plumbing and wiring.

      Other
      * Re-wiring provided that all new wiring is fully concealed and any original light switches are retained in-situ.
      * Installation of smoke detectors.
      * Installation of insulation.
      * All works to the added mezzanines and to the new additions to the north, east and west of the original building, provided that these works do not interfere with the fabric of the original building.

Public contributions

Note: Developments may span multiple time periods
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