YANNARIE CHEESE & BUTTER FACTORY
7533 PRINCES HIGHWAY, TYRENDARRA, GLENELG SHIRE
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Statement of Significance
The Yannarie Cheese and Better Factory is a large stone building, constructed of locally quarried and collected stone, including some bluestone and some limestone. It is located approximately 1.0km south of the Princes Highway, west of the township of Tyrendarra. The former factory is constructed on the side of a steep slope. The upper storey of the building faces north towards the homestead (which was built in the Interwar period, replacing a much earlier house at a different location, now demolished). The factory contains an office, two silage pits, the factory itself and a cheese storeroom. Mature Coprosma repens (Shiny leaf) have grown up inside the building, and over the uncapped stone walls. The large water repellent leaves of the Shiny leaf are repelling water away from the otherwise unprotected walls. The factory was started in 1883 by Donald McLeod, the son of John Norman McLeod, who owned the nearby Castlemaddie property. Donald McLeod was considered to be one of the pioneers of innovative farming in the nineteenth century. He made signifiant advances in the techniques of butter and chesse making through his Yannarie factory. Cheddar from Yannarie recieved the highest award for cheese at the 1888 Intercolonial Dairying Exhibition. The dairy was opened to other dairy farmers at certain times for public displays of its innovative techniques and modern equipment, aimed at improving the overall quality of the region's diary produce. The factory was sold to William Skene in 1892, who continued to operate the factory, perhaps on a larger scale, as he purchased milk products from surrounding farms to make cheeses and butter. The factory continued in operation until the early 1900s. The former factory is in poor condition, but does retain a high degree of integrity. Unfortunately, none of the machinery of the factory remains on site.
How is it significant?
The former Yannarie Cheese and Butter Factory is of historical and archaelogical significance to the Glenelg Shire Council.
Why is it significant?
The former Yannarie Cheese and Butter Factory is of historical significance as an unusual surviving example of a private cheese and butter factory. Although it started as a private venture, probably using McLeod's own herd's milk, when William Skene took the factory over in 1892, he purchased milk from surrounding producers, and processed it at his factory. This is similar to the arrangement of the much more commonly found Co-operative Cheese and Butter factories around the Glenelg Shire in the later nineteenth and early twentieth century. It is of archaelogical significance for its potential to yield much more detailed information about the day to day running of the dairy, its machinery and workers through archaeological investigation.
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YANNARIE CHEESE & BUTTER FACTORY - Usage/Former Usage
Ruinous and unused
YANNARIE CHEESE & BUTTER FACTORY - Physical Description 1
The Yannarie Cheese and Butter Factory is a large stone building, constructed of locally quarried and collected stone, including some bluestone and some limestone. The former factory is constructed on the side of a steep slope. The upper storey of the building faces north towards the homestead (which was built in the Interwar period, replacing a much earlier house). The upper storey has one enclosed room to the west of the structure, which was used as the office. The office area has a timber lined ceiling and double timber doors, which may have been replaced in the twentieth century. The exterior of the office measures 6.96m x 4.97m. Also accessed from the upper storey are two large silage pits, which extend down over both storeys. Both silage pits are over 8.0m deep, and both measure about 5.0m x 7.4m. These are located at the extreme east section of the building. The upper walls have openings to allow access to place material into the pits. The lower storey has a cheese storage room located directly below the office. The interior of the cheese room still has some shelves remaining. In the central section, remains the space used for the processing of the dairy products into Butter and Cheese. No machinery survives. The north wall has caved in, leaving the slope exposed. All of the walls are a uniform thickness of about 60cm. The office retains a corrugated iron hipped roof, but the other sections of the factory have lost all roof covering and structural timbers. Mature Coprosma repens (Shiny leaf) have grown up inside the building, and over the uncapped stone walls. The large water repellent leaves of the Shiny leaf are repelling water away from the otherwise unprotected walls.
To the north east of the factory, there is an over-mature hedge of Coprosma repens, which probably dates from the early twentieth century, although it may be later. Similarly, the remains of a Coprosma repens hedge and small timber picket fence and gate are located to the north west of the building.
To the south of the lower storey, a raised area exists about half way along, adjacent to a door opening in the wall. It appears that this may be the remains of the ramp onto which the carts bringing dairy products to the factory unloaded. Supporting this theory are the remains of the carriageway leading from the Highway to the factory.YANNARIE CHEESE & BUTTER FACTORY - Physical Conditions
Fair
Heritage Study and Grading
Glenelg - Glenelg Shire Heritage Study Part One
Author: Carlotta Kellaway, David Rhodes Mandy Jean
Year: 2002
Grading:Glenelg - Glenelg Heritage Study Stage Two (a)
Author: Heritage Matters
Year: 2006
Grading:
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ST. JAMES ANGLICAN CHURCH (FORMER)Glenelg Shire
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YANNARIE CHEESE & BUTTER FACTORYGlenelg Shire
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Tyrendarra Memorial HallVic. War Heritage Inventory
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CONVINCING GROUNDVictorian Heritage Register H2079
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MERINO DOWNS HOMESTEAD COMPLEXGlenelg Shire
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MUNTHAM HOMESTEAD COMPLEXSouthern Grampians Shire H0294
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