A century of dairy farming

Most Albertland settlers had a few milking cows to provide their families with milk and cream. Surplus milk was “set” in large tin milk pans and left on a bench for a couple of days, then the cream was skimmed off with a flat saucer-like metal skimmer which had holes to drain the milk. When enough cream was collected, it was churned, by hand, into butter. If there was milk, cream or butter to spare it was sold to either the local storekeeper or to neighbours.

Harold Marsh noted in his diary that he attended a meeting held in the Wharehine School on March 12, 1902, to discuss a creamery. Ten months later he wrote that he’d attended the opening of the creamery at Port Albert, which was the Port Albert branch of the Wayby Creamery. This factory was on a flat site by the little bridge at the bottom of Church Hill Road. These first factories took whole milk and separated it on site. Farmers had to go there to collect their skim milk, or “skilly” as it was called, taking it home to feed their pigs.

In 1910 the Port Albert factory was reconstructed to take only cream for making butter. This meant farmers had to buy their own separators. They kept the skilly and their cream was collected initially by horse and wagon. The unmetalled roads were very wet and boggy in winter so sometimes three or even four horses were needed to pull the wagons. At Wharehine, brothers Fred and Les Savage were the carriers for a while then Dave Blackburn took over. At Port Albert, John Hutchison also carted cream cans with horses and wagon. Later he bought a truck, and for many years he was the cream-carrier and general carrier for his end of the run.

In the other direction John Busbridge had a run, his driver often being Tim Haszard (known amongst his friends as Dad Haszard). At the same time, Ed Inger at Wharehine, also bought a truck to carry the cream, always happy to collect goods for suppliers on his run. Few people had cars in those days so Ed often had a passenger or two with him. His was a very friendly service.

By 1932 it was obvious that the Port Albert factory was no longer adequate, so a new site was sought. Due to difficulties in obtaining a good water supply, several otherwise suitable sites were rejected, until at last a section was chosen at Te Hana. This had an added advantage of a rail siding close to the factory buildings. The Albertland Dairy Factory opened in 1934. Whole milk was collected from farms and taken to the factory by large tankers.

In 1987, after the New Zealand sharemarket crashed, the Te Hana complex closed for good, ending local processing of dairy products.

Sources: “Albertland, the First 100 Years” and other notes by Bess Farr.