OPUNAKE CHEESEMAKING

Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1934, Page 26 (Supplement)

OPUNAKE CHEESEMAKING

HISTORY OF FIRST COMPANY EQUIPMENT in the early days. MILK FROM WIDE COASTAL. AREA. "Optmake was, I believe, with the possible exception of Waitara and Inglewood, the first place in Taranaki to have a dairy factory,” said Mr. A. H. Moore, who was the secretary of the first dairy company in that district. Mr. Moore arrived in the district in 1882 and has been prominently associated with the pioneering work of the place. He was also secretary of the •, lightering company and the Opunake Town Board in their early years. ‘‘The first cheese factory,” continued Mr. Moore, ‘‘was run on the very best system then known and possessed 500gallon circular vats with automatic cutters on a travelling spindle. “Everyone on the coast from Oeo to Rahotu had shares in the first public cheese company and milk was received from over the whole of that area. But no milk was received on Sundays. The weight Was computed at 1011 b to the gallon and suppliers received 3d or»3Jd per gallon; They used to make very good cheese in those days, but it was kept in store for three months before it was sent out. and the curing room was heated by steam pipes. The whey was run into a big tank at the factory and fed out to pigs, many of which were kept there. “The first season was fairly successful and the Otakeho people followed Opunake’s lead by putting up a factory. In the second season the milk supply increased so ftiuch that there had to be a night delivery as well as that of the morning. I believe Mr. W. C. Drake was the first manager and Mr. Cranswick the second.

“Trouble developed in the second season with a ‘cheese fly’ and it was decided to discontinue taking in milk, but as some settlers had a very large quantity Mr. Emanuel Bayly put in a separator and started to make butter. Next year a syndicate of former suppliers was formed and they made butter for one or two seasons.

“Then the Crown Dairy Company, which had become prominent on the coast, came along and took a five years’ lease of the premises with the right of purchase. The company made butter only and at the end of the term they bought the- assets. The Opunake company was eventually wound up and some years afterwards the present company was formed. CO-OPERATION BEGINS. “It was in 1885—just on 49'years ago—that the first co-operative company started in Opunake,” proceeded Mr. Moore., “The prospectus stated:—This company is projected for the purpose of manufacturing cheese, butter and bacon on the American factory system. The directors place this project before the farmers of the district and the public generally with the fullest confidence believing: that this district is eminently adapted for dairying; that the time has come when farmers should move out of the old rut of profitless stock-raising; that similar factories in other less favoured districts in the colony have proved undoubtedly successful; that the markets for dairy factory ’ produce are now certain and unlimited.

“The company proposes to purchase milk from shareholders only; the quantity of milk to be supplied by each contributor will be regulated, as far as practicable, to his interest in the company. “The company was called the “Opunake Dairy Factory Company Limited,” and it had a capital of £2500 in 1250 shares of £2 each. It was expected that it would not be necessary to call up more than £1 per share. The provisional directors were Messrs. Emanuel Bayly (Punehu), Richard Ching, Jacob Rothery (Pihama), Alfred E. Baylis, William Pettigrew, storekeeper, Alexander Anderson (Rahotu), John Stevenson (Rahotu), Simon Forsyth (Pihama), S. A. Breach, Thomas Good (Oeo), John Stitt, storekeeper, William Jeffries (Rahotu), and William R. Prosser (Oaonui). I was the secretary and treasurer,” added Mr.' Moore. 9

It is somewhat remarkable that early in the history of, the New Zealand dairy industry the value of co-operative effort should have been recognised so thoroughly. Though the first Opunake company did not achieve any great success the “germ” of. co-operation had been planted in the Taranaki dairy community. Its effect could be seen in later developments at Waitara, Tikorangi and Inglewood. Ten years later the co-op-erative movement gathered fresh momentum and from that period has been the cardinal principle of dairying in the province.