There are two structures in one at this site. The slaughterhouse is on the left with its original roof of wooden shingles. Sheep, cattle and pigs were slaughtered here to feed the Macarthurs, their employees and families. The grooved drains in the stone floor reflect the building's function.

Until refrigeration became available in the 1900s, fresh meat was eaten in the days following slaughter and the remainder was salted to stop it going rotten when kept for longer periods. Some meat was smoked and dried in the smokehouse.

At some stage the building was extended to the right, incorporating the earlier slaughterhouse. In later years it was used as a stable for working horses and finally as a carpenter's shop with a diesel engine driving a circular saw.