Walkerston State Butcher's Shop facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Walkerston State Butcher's Shop |
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Walkerston State Butcher's Shop, 2009
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| Location | 13 Dutton Street, Walkerston, Mackay Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Official name: Walkerston State Butcher's Shop (former) | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 3 December 2007 |
| Reference no. | 602659 |
| Significant period | 1920s |
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The Walkerston State Butcher's Shop is an old building in Walkerston, Australia. It used to be a butcher shop run by the government. This building is special because it's one of the few remaining "State Butcher's Shops" from a unique time in Queensland's history. It was built in 1922 and is now listed on the Queensland Heritage Register, which means it's protected for its historical importance.
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A Look Back: Walkerston's Story
The small timber building that was once the State Butcher's Shop was built in 1922. It stands on Dutton Street in Walkerston, a town just west of Mackay. This shop is one of the last old buildings left in the town.
The city of Mackay is named after John Mackay. He explored the Pioneer River valley in 1860. A settlement started there in 1862. By 1863, Mackay was surveyed and land was sold. It became an important port and business center. The town grew as sugar plantations developed nearby.
Walkerston began in the 1860s. It was a stop for teamsters traveling between Mackay and Nebo. Many people settled around Walkerston in the 1860s. The town got its own Post Office in 1876. At that time, Walkerston had about 200 people. Mackay had 2,000. A school also opened in Walkerston in 1874.
The Pioneer Valley railway line helped Walkerston grow even more. The railway reached Mirani in 1885. Also, seven sugar mills were built nearby between 1868 and 1883. These mills helped Walkerston's economy during the 1880s.
The State Butcher Shops: Meat for Everyone
In 1922, three State butcher shops opened in Mackay. Walkerston got its own State butcher shop that same year. This was part of a big idea by the Queensland government.
During World War I, prices for goods were very high. The Labor government, led by Premier T. J. Ryan, wanted to help people. They promised to make life more affordable. They believed that the government should own some businesses. These businesses would compete with private companies. The goal was to sell goods and services at fair prices. This would help lower prices for everyone.
Between 1915 and 1925, the Queensland government started many businesses. These included an insurance office, a lottery, sawmills, and even a hotel. They also opened a network of butcher shops. This plan was made official with the State Enterprises Act of 1918. The government saw this as "State capitalism." It was a way to protect people from unfair prices.
Cattle farming was a major industry in Queensland in 1915. The Ryan government wanted all Queenslanders to get meat at fair prices. They also needed to supply cheap meat to soldiers during the war. So, they started a system of State-owned butcher shops across Queensland. These shops were very successful.
The first State butcher shop opened in Brisbane in November 1915. Soon, more shops opened in Brisbane and other towns. These towns included Rockhampton, Gympie, and Townsville. The shops followed the railway lines. This is how frozen meat was delivered to them.
From 1915 to 1929, 90 State butcher shops operated in Queensland. Most of them were in rented buildings. The most shops open at one time was 72, in 1922-23.
Only seven of these shops were built specifically for the government. Each one had its own design. The Walkerston State Butchery was one of these. It was made of timber and opened in November 1922. Its construction cost about £536.
The State butcher shops first bought meat from large meat companies. But from 1921, they bought their own animals. They killed them at their own slaughter-yards. This meant the State butcher shops always had fresh meat. They sold it at very good prices.
Why the Shops Closed
The State Enterprises plan helped many people. It created jobs and provided cheaper meat. However, the whole system did not make money. Some businesses were bought for too much money. Others were in bad locations or managed poorly. Economic problems and droughts also hurt them.
By 1926, the new Labor premier, William McCormack, said he wanted to sell the businesses that were losing money. Some State butcher shops were sold between 1926 and 1928. When the Labor government lost the election in 1929, the new government sold most of the remaining State businesses. The last 39 State butcher's shops closed on June 30, 1929.
Even though the State butcher shops lost some money overall, they sold over £5 million worth of meat. They also helped keep meat prices fair for many years.
The land for the Walkerston State Butcher shop was bought in 1922. The shop was almost finished by September 1922. The government asked for more work to be done. This included a fence, a stable for carts, and a cover for a well. An ice chest was also added.
The shop's ownership changed hands in 1925 and 1928. Although some local stories say it stopped being a butcher shop after 1928, its later owners were butchers. So, it might have continued selling meat.
In more recent times, the Walkerston shop has been a pizza shop. It also sold dance supplies. A new section was added to the back of the shop. A carport was also added. In 2016, the building became a chiropractic office.
No old butchery tools are left inside the shop. However, a large fig tree behind the property has metal railings stuck in its branches. These might have been used for butchering animals. There are also two small concrete tubs in the back corner. Their purpose is unknown.
What the Shop Looks Like
The old Walkerston State Butcher shop is a small timber building. It is on the north side of Dutton Street. A roof called an awning sticks out over the footpath. It is held up by timber posts.
The front part of the building shows its wooden frame. The back part is covered with weatherboards. A newer addition at the very back is covered with fibre cement and corrugated iron.
The front of the shop has a door in the middle. To the right of the door is a large window with four glass panels. The side of the shop on the west also has a double door. There is a metal hood over a window on the western side of the back section.
The original shop has a T shape. The wider part of the T is at the back. The roof is made of corrugated iron and has a gable shape. The front part of the roof sticks out more than the back. The gables have small openings for air. The awning over the street has a decorative wooden edge. The back addition also has a sloped roof. An open carport extends further back.
Inside, the front of the shop is an open space. It is about 4.8 meters (15.7 feet) square. The wooden ceiling has a sloped shape. There are perforated sheets between the wall tops and the ceiling. These help with air flow.
A door at the back of this space leads to a kitchen. It has modern equipment. This kitchen is in the eastern back part of the building. Another door from the kitchen leads to the western back part. This is now a small storage room. Both of these back rooms have windows that are now sealed. The west room's back window was sealed when the rear addition was built. Both rooms have sloped wooden ceilings.
Another door from the kitchen leads to the back addition. This addition seems to have had a serving window facing the backyard. The kitchen and the back addition have plasterboard walls. The rest of the shop has vertical wooden boards.
Outside, to the northeast of the back of the shop, is a raised concrete slab. This might cover an old well. Further back is the large fig tree. It has two steel rails growing into its northern side. One is vertical, and one goes diagonally into the tree. Two small concrete tubs are in the northwest corner of the property.
A newer carport structure connects the front of the shop to the building next door. This part is not considered historically important.
Why It's a Heritage Site
The former Walkerston State Butcher's Shop was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on December 3, 2007. This means it meets special rules for being a protected historical place.
- Shows Queensland's History: This shop, built in 1922, is a great example of the "State Enterprises" idea. This was a government plan from 1915 to 1925. The State butcher shops were a successful part of this plan. They provided cheaper meat to many Queensland families for years.
- Rare and Special: The Walkerston shop was one of only seven State butcher shops built specifically for that purpose. Most other shops were in rented buildings. The only other known surviving State butcher shop, in Roma, is a larger brick building. This makes the Walkerston shop quite rare.
- Shows What It Was Like: The building clearly shows what a government-designed butcher shop from that time looked like. Its large front window, street awning, and special ventilation show how butcher shops were designed back then. The large roof overhang also helped keep the shop cool.
- Looks Good: This shop is one of the last old buildings in Walkerston. It adds a lot to the unique look and feel of the town.
