We had a wonderful day out at the Kingston Butter Factory Cultural Precinct in May, celebrating International Museums Day with the historians and volunteers from the Logan City Museum.
The museum is located in the Kingston Butter Factory Precinct, which is a heritage-listed site. The precinct includes other attractions such as the Living Museum of Logan, the Butterbox Theatre, and the Devon Pixies Tea House (where we indulged in some delicious morning tea!).
We spent quality time learning about Logan’s rich history: The museum’s exhibits tell the story of the region’s European settlement and development of the City of Logan from 1826 to the present day. We examined displays on farming, mining, timber, small industry, railway, schools and involvement in both world wars.
The museum houses a variety of historical and personal memorabilia, including butter factory production machinery, cream records dating back to the Kingston Buttery Factory’s founding, and gold mine and WWII airfield photographs. Museum Volunteer Curators, Allan and Wendy, spent time with us, proudly sharing all the museum had to offer!
We were also fortunate to listen to Brisbane’s #1 House Detective, Marianne Taylor, who gave a talk featuring Willowbrook, one of the oldest surviving pastoral homesteads in the Logan area, even older than Mayes Cottage! The current owners were there, too, and they were able to supply some important details about the cottage, and its history.
For those who haven’t heard of her, Marianne Taylor is an architectural historian who delves into the history of houses. She uncovers fascinating details like ‘When was the house built? Who built it? Who lived there? Are there any old photos of it? Did it have a name?’ Like a detective, she uses her research skills to unearth the secrets hidden within the houses and the lives of their past residents. It’s always a treat to listen to Marianne speak of heritage properties she’s researched – the current owners and attendees at her talk were certainly delighted to hear all about Willowbrook!
There is always so much to do at this precinct, so we highly recommend a day out with your family, to explore, learn, indulge and enjoy Logan’s rich history!