1899
23 September 1899
A GREAT DAIRYING DISTRICT.
Mudgee is, I think, one of the most thriving and flourishing townships I have seen in Australia. The buildings are all substantial, the streets wide and clean. Cabs fly about, and the storekeeper's seem to be doing a very good trade. One wonders where all the wealth is derived from - chiefly from dairying, I have found. It is evident that the main occupation of the farmers around Mudgee is dairying. The Mudgee Dairy Company has a large butter factory near the outskirts of the town to the east, near the Cudgegong River. Mr. W. Percival, a gentleman with considerable experience and well known in dairying circles, is the manager and he kindly supplied me with much information concerning the operations. This factory was started on March 5th, 1890, and has been running continuously ever since. Sometimes the supply of milk reaches as high as 4000 gallons per day, and the factory is also supplied by creameries in the surrounding district. The development of the dairying industry in the Mudgee district is an eye-opener, even to one who has been all through the district in the South. About 1890 the local farmers were beginning to find that wheat-growing, exclusively, did not pay, and Mr. C. D. Meares, solicitor, and other smart business men saw that there was an opportunity to develop the country by dairying. Mr. Meares took a trip to Kiama, and saw how prosper-ous the farmers were. He soon traced this to the dairying industry. From Mr. D. L. Dymock, the father of the industry in the Illawarra district, he obtained valuable information. On his return to Mudgee he laid a scheme before the go-ahead farmers and people of the town, and though he received little encouragement at the outset, at last sufficient shareholder were secured, and the neces-sary capital, £1200, was forthcoming. At first the supply was small, averaging about 350 gals, per day. When the farmers who stood back saw cheques flying about, they commenced also to become suppliers. Some six months after the Mudgee dairy had been launched the supply increased to 2000 gallons per day. In '93 at Burrundulla, the property of the Hon. G. H. Cox, a butter factory was established for some 30 tenants on the estate, who are principally dairy-farmers. The Mudgee Dairy Factory, under the management of Mr. Percival, has been singularly prosperous, notwithstanding the many initial difficulties that had to be encountered. When we come to realize the fact that the turn-over has been about £90,000 since the factory started, it is not surprising that the township of Mudgee has a nourishing appearance. Of course, the farmers had to work hard for the result. Nearly all seem as healthy and as fresh as any to be met with in New South Wales. All the butter produced at the Mudgee factory is so carefully handled that no person could pick out a fault. Good buildings were first erected, next good equipment, which involved most costly machinery and appliances, were all provided, and now a refrigerator is about being added for the making of ice in summer time. No butter factory in the world could have better appliances or more skilful operators. So it is no wonder that a quality of butter is produced at the Mudgee Dairy Factory which is good; but the claim is made that the Mudgee butter absolutely surpasses all competitors from Australasia in the London market. I am not quite sure of this being the case, but certainly the butter from the Mudgee Dairy Factory would be hard to equal. The pastures are virgin compared to those on the South Coast. The herbage is more fresh and vigorous, and the weeds are fewer. Lucerne grows luxuriantly on the flats. In addition, the cattle are more lusty; they are not worn out in their milking capacity yet, and any heifer that is given a chance fairly overflows with milk. Another good thing about the Mudgee Butter Factory is that the most scrupulous care is taken with regard to the testing of the milk. The manager is a leading authority on this subject, and, as might be expected, the system of testing the various supplies is very carefully attended to. In some districts a number used to bring to the factory nearly as much water as milk, but Babcock has found them out, or at least the size of their monthly cheque has taught them that there is not much profit in carting water to the factory. In the factory are four large separators, each of which separates 265 gallons per hour. There are two churns at work. The company are about purchasing an automatic skim-measuring machine, by means of which each supplier will obtain his proper amount of skim milk. The directors are Messrs. C. D. Meares, solicitor; R. Jones, ex-M.P.; George Rope, T. Mills, J. P. and Edwin Randall. There are eight other dairy factories in the district, viz., Burrundulla, Cooyal, Wollar, Cudgegong, McDonald's Creek (Mr. Hardwick), Pyramul, Wilbetree Cheddar Cheese and Butter Company (Mr. T. A . Wright), and the Wilbetree Factory owned by Mr. J. G. Wurth1
.
1905
6 September 1905
Dairying, as is the case in many other parts of the State, has been of great salvation to the Mudgee district. The Mudgee Dairy Company, Limited, is a most go-ahead concern, and Mr. E. Doswell, the manager, keeps well abreast of the times in methods and ideas. Last working year 688,428 gallons of milk were received, from which 302,802lb of butter were made. The total amount paid to 101 suppliers for the year ending November 30, 1904, was £9375 17s 3d - an average of a fraction over £93 15s. The business has increased largely since the last report was issued, and for the July month £1127 was paid for 62,000 gallons of milk. Mr. C. D. Meares is chairman of the company, and the directors are Messrs. Robert Jones, T. Mills, J. Newman, and V. D. Cox. There are also several private factories in the district, some of which go in for the manufacture of cheese as well. At the Cheddar Cheese and Bacon Factory, at Wilbertree, Mr. T. A. Wright makes a cheese that for quality and taste should suit the palate of the most hard to please connoisseur. Another cheese factory - that is owned by Mr. T. Foster, of Pyramul, is a great factor in the development of Mudgee. In fact, what with bacon-curing, butter-making, and cheese-making, Mudgee is forging ahead, and undoubtedly holding its own in the fight for pre-eminence in the world of trade2
.
1971
25 June 1971
MUDGEE DAIRY IS A MAJOR MILK SUPPLIER IN WEST
By Yvonne Bucknell.
(Photo)
Ted Lucas and Bob Baundy with the bottle filling machine in full operation at the Mudgee Dairy Factory.
The Mudgee Dairy Company is one of two agents authorised by the Dairy Industry Authority of New South Wales to treat and sell milk in the Central West and North West.
The other agent is the Central Western Dairy co-operative at Dubbo.
All milk in this area has to pass through those two plants in order to be sold.
Where pasteurised milk is available, it is against the law for anyone to sell un-pasteurised milk for human consumption.
About four years ago, there were four dairies supplying milk to the same area, the other being at Coonabarabran and Wellington.
The Mudgee Dairy purchased the Kenilworth Dairy at Coonabarabran some time ago and in the last few months, the Dairy Industry Authority closed down the Wellington milk factory.
The Mudgee dairy supplies milk to Baradine, Coonabarabran, Coonamble, Walgett, Lightning Ridge, Collarenebri, Binnaway, Gulgong, Kandos, Rylstone, Dunedoo, Coolah, Mendooran, Hill End, Cudgegong and other smaller centres in the area.
Cool room storage units are situated at Dunedoo, Coonabarabran and Walgett.
Those at Walgett and Dunedoo were built by the Mudgee Dairy while the cool room storage unit at Coonabarabran was acquired with the purchase of the Kenilworth dairy.
The bulk of the milk, some 1,300 gallons, which is processed every day at Mudgee, is produced locally.
About six years ago there were 25 dairy farmers producing 500 gallons a day.
The milk was stored and transported in cans.
Some 18 months ago, the Mudgee Dairy acquired a bulk truck which collects the milk from farms every day.
There are now five dairy farmers supplying milk to Mudgee dairy and each of these farmers have refrigerated units to store their milk at the farms.
The secretary and director of the Mudgee Dairy, Mr. Warren Piper said that the use of the bulk truck and the installation of refrigeration units at the farms, the risk of contamination of the milk has been reduced.
He said: “The refrigeration units on the farms are regularly inspected by Dairy Industry inspectors.
“The milk cans were a main source for the breeding of bacteria.”
When the milk arrives at the Mudgee dairy, it is pumped into a refrigerated tank immediately.
It then goes through the pasteuriser and from there into the bottle filling plant.
Refrigerated trucks carry their bottled milk to the various centres every day.
Milk is delivered to Coonabarabran, Walgett and Baradine every second day.
The Mudgee Dairy has about a quarter of a million bottles in circulation.
The Manager of the dairy, Mr. Larry Etherington said that because of breakages and loss, one of the company’s heaviest expenses was the replacement of bottles.
He said, “We have to buy approximately 10,000 bottles a month and the cost of replacing bottles every year is $10,000.
“A milk bottle costs us about 8 cents in Sydney plus freight charges, road tax and packaging.
“In the Metropolitan area, bottles are delivered to the dairies for nothing.
“If the price of bottles should rise, it will be necessary to impose a deposit on the bottles or seriously consider looking into other forms of milk packaging.
“Approximately one tenth of our daily production is already packaged in cartons.
“Carto milk is pretty popular at Walgett and Coonabarabran and in places like Lightning Ridge we try to create a demand because of the number of tourists.”
Both Mr. Piper and Mr. Etherington complained about the high running costs of a dairy in a country district.
Trunk line telephone calls was one of the highest on their list of complaints.
Every time they need a spare part they have to ring Sydney on trunks, while Sydney dairy would only have to pay 5 cents for a call.
The dairy looks forward to the time when water from Windamere dam will be used in the Mudgee town water supply, because the water will be softer.
The present Mudgee water is very hard, causing corrosion of parts in the plant.
These have to be replaced more often than they should.
The dairy uses a lot of power for their factory and the cost of electricity from the Ulan County Council also contributes to the high running costs.
Mr. Piper said: “Despite these costs, we are expected to keep our prices at the same level as milk sold in the metropolitan area.
The Mudgee dairy is one of the older industries in Mudgee. It began in 1888 as a public company, and up until about eight years ago made the Mudgee butter known as “Muna”.
Though the dairy no longer makes butter, it is the local distributor for Allowrie and Foley’s butter and a number of cheese products.
The present manager. Mr. Larry Etherington has been with the Mudgee Dairy for four years.
There are twelve other personnel at the dairy.