Loading North Cattle For Solomons Today

Northern Advocate, 16 July 1949, Page 4

Loading North Cattle For Solomons Today

FIFTEEN cattle trucks containing beef cattle for the Solomons Islands were included in the goods train which left Whangarei for Auckland at 10.15 last night. The 150-odd cattle were the last of the 376 from Northland which will be shipped to the Islands by the former tank-landing vessel Rawhiti, loading now on the Tamaki River, near Panmure.

This will be the largest shipment of cattle ever to be sent overseas from this country.

Although mainly Hereford heifers, the shipment also includes a few Aberdeen Angus heifers, empty lj-year-olds and in-calf 2-year-olds, supplied by about 12 breeders in the Whangarei and Kaikohe districts.

Of the 370 cattle, 233 were taken from the Kaikohe district, 139 from Whangarei, and four run bulls from Paparoa. The shipment will be taken to Russell Island, in the Solomons, to build up the island’s war-depleted stocks.

A start was made in loading the cattle on to the Rawhiti yesterday morning. During the day about 190 animals were driven into the special pens. It is expected that the loading will be completed today. The cattle were transported from Northland in two trains. Fifteen wagons were used last night, and 14 on Thursday night. Last night’s train included 11 trucks of cattle from Kaikohe and four from Motatau. On Thursday night seven were from Kaikohe, six from Ruatangata, and one from Maungaturoto. Cattle traffic has been abnormal at the Whangarei station during the last few months, creating a great demand for trucks, every available one being pressed into service. Transportation of cattle generally slackens up about the middle of May, but this year it is expected to be heavy until the end of this month.