Gilt wooden framed oil on canvas painting depicting the Old Cheese Factory, Berwick. Signed lower left "Sullivan".

Verso contains details of the donation of the painting from former City of Berwick Councillor Keith Robert Wishart, the framer, the former location where it was hung at the Council Chambers, and its old label "The Cheese Factory Berwick by B. Sullivan (owned by Cr K. Wishart)".

The Springfield Estate which includes the cheese factory, kitchen/wash house and Homestead dates back to the 1860’s. These facilities were built by Murdoch McDonald in 1865 to replace the original substandard buildings. Also as this time McDonald was employed to manage the property “The Springs” as the farm was then known, comprised some 1,295 hectares is (5 square miles), and was used for dairy cattle. Two hundred cows were milked by hand twice daily in a large milking shed 46 metres long (150 feet), the foundations of which may still be seen today in fact, 37 cows could be milked at the one time in this shed, each bail having its own window. A portion of the milk produced on the property was used to manufacture cheese and butter with 150 cheeses being turned out each week. The considerable size of this operation required the employment of up to 100 farm hands.

In 1904 the property was sold in two sections. Later on, one section was again divided into two parts with the old buildings remaining on an area of 264 hectares (652 acres) which was renamed “Springfield”. In 1925 this property was purchased by the State Government and was subdivided into smaller allotments for the settlement of soldiers who fought in the First World War (1914 -1918). Following its use for soldier settlement the property, now comprising 10.3 hectares (25.4 acres) reverted to the government which reserved the land for public purposes and appointed the City of Casey as its manager.

In 1985 Council officially opened the Old Cheese Factory to the public as an art and craft gallery and an historic property. Today, the Old Cheese factory continues to be an important meeting place for the community and host of community events, whilst also offering spaces for hire for private functions.