Blayney, New South Wales - mid-20th century

Blayney Abattoir

Blayney Abattoir served the Central Tablelands district of NSW through most of the 20th century. Municipal abattoirs were standard infrastructure in rural NSW: a local processing facility for livestock raised in the surrounding district, employing a small permanent workforce and supporting the farmers who brought their animals in.

The spatial logic of an abattoir follows the work. Livestock moved through a defined sequence of spaces in one direction. Temperature was maintained throughout. Every surface was designed to be cleaned down at the end of each shift. The architecture makes no concession to anything beyond the process it houses.

Blayney's abattoir closed as regional processing across NSW centralised into larger facilities. The building was left standing with much of its equipment and fitout in place. The tiling, the overhead rail systems, the holding areas, and the processing rooms remained.

The photographs were made in 2016. The building had been closed long enough for the industrial residue to settle, but the layout and purpose of every space was still legible.