Farm Buildings and Workshops

Workshops.—Built by R. A. Fougere, K. Muirson, and students, 1930. The original building had no eastern extensions, these were added to form the larger technical shops in the following order—carpenters shop, 1939; engineers’ shop and blacksmiths' shop, 1945-44. This latter work was done on each occasion by R. Frazer and students.

The Farm Buildings comprising stables, dairy, grain stores, milking shed and wool shed were built in 1879. The original dairy was replaced in 1940. These buildings were demolished in 1954, except for remnant of original dairy. 

The Old Dairy

The Old Dairy is the third oldest structure on the Lincoln University campus after Ivey Cottage (pre-1878) and Ivey Hall (1878).

It was designed in 1879 by the same prominent Christchurch architect responsible for Ivey Hall, Frederick Strouts (1835-1919).

This Dairy formed part of an ambitious design by Strouts for a complex of farm buildings to support the teaching, training and revenue earning activities of what was then known as the Lincoln School of Agriculture (Lincoln University's forerunner).

While the Dairy was completed in concrete as planned, cost overruns on Ivey Hall forced most of the other buildings in the complex to be scaled back in terms of construction material and most were in a dilapidated state by midway through the next century.

A report in the Star newspaper of 13 March 1879 describes the original concept in detail.

Of this building specifically, the report says there would be a churn room for storing milk and making butter, another room would be set up as a scullery with a boiler for hot water for a cheese room, and a further room was designated for cheese storage.

In 1885 a volume of cheese made here was sent to the London market, the School having been authorised to manufacture cheese for export. Well-known Canterbury cheese-maker C.B. Candy was in charge of the Dairy for a period around this time.

Exterior restoration of this Dairy building as carried out in 2018-2019.