The Kingston Butter Factory is a community arts centre in Kingston, Queensland, Australia. It is located adjacent to the Kingston railway station. The factory underpinned the local dairying industry for six decades. [1]
It forms the main building in the Kingston Butter Factory Cultural Precinct, and after refurbishment, re-opened in July 2022 [2] .
The original building was first constructed in 1907. [3] Construction was undertaken by Waugh and Josephson. [4] The factory also made milk, cottage cheese, and baker's cheese. [3] Until the late 1950s, the factory was operated as a co-operative. The factory was patronized by the Australian businessmen and politician William Stephens.
Original plans for a manufacturing plant in the area emerged in 1900. [5] The goal was to export products to Europe. [5] In 1906, a public meeting at Beenleigh Shire Hall saw around 50 dairy farmers gather. A ballot was held and a site near the railway with a good water supply was selected. [4] In 1911, a railway siding for the factory was built. [4] A modern brick building was built atop the old wooden structure in 1932. [4]
The weekly output of butter was between 40 and 50 tonnes by 1930. [4] Peak production was reached in 1934. [4] In July 1950, the Kingston Butter Factory registered as a wholesale milk vendor. [1]
The factory was closed in 1983. After funding by Logan City Council in 1998 it was transformed into a community arts centre. [3] It was formerly home to a theatre company. [6]
After refurbishment, the Kingston Butter Factory reopened in July 2022 as the centrepiece of The Kingston Butter Factory Cultural Precinct. [7] Other parts of the precinct include an open-air stage launched [8] in March 2022, a café in a restored workers' cottage, and the Logan City Historical Museum. The precinct can accommodate crowds of up to 5,000 people [9] .
The Kingston Butter Factory includes the Butterbox Theatre, a versatile black-box style performance space.
