CONSERVED: Tocal director Cameron Archer and the former dairy. Picture by STUART SCOTT 090812SS011
A building once used to store milk during the mid to late 1800s has now been reopened as a reception centre for the historic Tocal Homestead.
The homestead’s old dairy building has been refurbished to now serve as the entrance to the heritage site.
“The homestead’s former dairy was stabilised and conserved some years ago and is a unique building to the area as it is built on bed logs rather than posts into the ground,” director of the Tocal Agricultural Centre, Dr Cameron Archer, said.
“Many early buildings were built this way but the logs ultimately rotted out and the buildings were demolished.”
The bed logs for the former dairy building have been replaced and it is now stabilised and has been restored back to its 19th century condition.
Dr Archer said the dairy was possibly built in the mid to late 1800s next to an earlier building.
“As well as supplying milk to the homestead, Jersey cows were used to suckle the calves from the stud beef cattle to make them grow quicker,” he said.
“This practice was common in beef cattle studs until quite recently. It is now out of favour because it gives a false impression of the genetics of the calf’s mother.
“The design of the building is significant because it sits on large bed logs. Once a common system for buildings, it fell out of fashion because of problems with moisture and termites.”
The milk room of the building has been converted to an office/reception centre for day visitors. It will be staffed on weekends and at other times when visitors come to the site.