REFRIGERATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 12, 15 January 1929, Page 18

REFRIGERATION.

TOPICAL ROTARY LECTURE. VAI*ITE Or INVENTION. DEPRESSION OF THE "SEVENTIES." "Refrigeration," an appropriate topic for a sweltering day, was the subject, on which Mr. Guy K. Hansard discoursed at yesterday's Rotary luncheon. A new future was given to New Zealand, Australia and the Argentine as a result of the perfection of refrigerating processes, said Mr. Hansard, who traced the history of this valuable invention, recalling many of the failures of the early days.

In 1865 New Zealand was suffering from depression, one of the contributing causes being the superfluous flocks and the low price of wool. Sheep could be purchased for 1/6 or 2/6, and 5/ was looked upon as a very high price. In the '70's it was difficult to dispose of sheep at all, there being cases on record where 1/ a head could not be obtained. Large flocks were driven over cliffs by exasperated owners. A Mr. Nelson started a boiling down works in Hawke's Bay and 3000 sheep per week were handled. The tallow obtained returned the equivalent of 5/ per head, and sales of skins added to this. Similar works were opened in Australia.

Meat was most expensive in England, and much public interest was aroused. It was suggested that men of science should devote their energies to the discovery of a process which would make the transportation of meat possible. Mr. Russell, of Hawke's Bay, offered a reward of £5000 to anyone inventing a process which would enable .frozen meat to be carried to England in good condition.

Various methods of preserving meat on a long voyage were tried, but processes involving the use of charcoal, acids or tallow all proved unsatisfactory.

James Harrison, of Geelpng, was the pioneer among inventors of refrigerating machinery, but it was not till 1873 that he could display meat which had been successfully preserved, and then it was only chilled, not frozen. A shipment of this chilled meat was exported from Australia, but it was a failure, owing to a breakdown of the machinery. Harrison died with his spirit broken, owing to failures.

The speaker mentioned numerous early experiments and shipments. In 1877 the s.s. Paraguay loaded 5000 carcases at Buenos Aires for France, and it was delivered in excellent condition. This was the first successful shipment of frozen meat, all previous cargoes having been chilled. The temperature was 17 degrees. Progress wae rapid and the development of refrigeration revolutionised the meat business.

The first ehip which took a cargo of frozen meat from New Zealand to England was the Dunedin, fitted out by the Australian and New Zealand Land Company. She was loaded at Port Chalmers, the freezing being done on board, as there were no freezing works in the country. A breakdown occurred and the cargo was unloaded and sold in Dunedin. However, another cargo reached London in first-class order. Shortly afterwards freezing works were opened at Burnside and in 1883 in Hawke's Bay. Mr. Hansard described the development of the processes and the change over from steam to ammonia. Meat can now be frozen hard in three days. Milk, fieh, fruit, chocolates and automatic telephone system were other things mentioned by Mr. Hansard as being subjected to refrigerating processes.