This website began, like many slightly obsessive projects, without much of a plan.

Why this website you may ask…

The short answer is because no-one's ever done it before!

The long answer is that the idea for this website was born growing up in Stratford, Taranaki.

Growing up in Taranaki, I took for granted that the dairy industry was (and continues to be) the lifeblood of the region’s economy. The (often crumbling) remains of dairy factories of all shapes and sizes that dot the Taranaki countryside are the physical manifestations of that industry. These factories were often the centres of their communities.

About 20 years ago, I discovered a book about the history of the Taranaki dairy industry and the consolidation of roughly 100 Taranaki co-operative dairy companies into a single company. It was a fascinating account of how an entire regional industry reshaped itself.

That book led me to start exploring the Taranaki countryside, visiting as many of these factories as I could. There was no real plan at that stage other than trying to tick as many of them off as possible.

Over time, that somewhat haphazard and unscientific interest became more methodical — filling countless spreadsheets and physical folders. The list grew. The questions multiplied. Sites were tracked down. Old photographs surfaced. Histories were pieced together.

Eventually the obvious question arose: what to do with all this material?

Too much for a book (or books), and beyond my skillset in any event. A website acting as a living archive seemed the most sensible option — something that could be added to gradually, and perhaps improved over time with the help of like-minded amateur historians.

Vertical orange safety barrier with black letters spelling 'NZDFA'.

What began as a slightly haphazard interest soon became countless spreadsheets, physical folders, and one very important USB stick.

The Slightly Ambitious Plan

In simple terms - to record, in one place, the exact locations, the histories, and some of the stories of the local communities of every dairy factory in New Zealand.

No one had attempted to bring all of this together in one place before.

It seemed a shame not to try…

Black and white photo of a rural dairy farm with a small building labeled 'Waitui Co-operative Dairy Company Ltd' and a horse-drawn wagon outside, surrounded by fences and trees.
An old, rusty barn with a red and green metal roof in a rural area under a clear blue sky. Power lines run across the top of the image, and there is a shadow of a utility pole on the barn. The surrounding area has dry grass and dirt.

The more precise ambition is to record in one place, the exact locations, the histories, and some of the stories of every dairy factory listed in the Annual List of Dairy Factories produced by the NZ Department of Agriculture from 1893 to 1971 and then by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries from 1974 to 1976.

Well to be even more precise, those factories "the milk supply whereof is obtained from not less than 75 cows and manufactured into butter and/or cheese".

Why the distinction?

Because tracking down the exact locations of all of the "private" dairy factories (those producing cheese and/or butter from the milk from less than 75 cows) would be Mission Impossible.

Along the way, I'm recording some of the history of each factory and trying to find and post a photograph of each factory to help bring them to life.

As it is, the scope of this website is probably overly ambitious. But it should keep me busy for a few years!

A historical map showing numbered land parcels, roads, and areas with labels such as Puket and Katimau as well as detailed lot measurements.
Ruined concrete foundation with rusted barriers, a white car in the background, grassy hills, a lone tree, and cloudy sky.
Black and white photograph of a barn with a group of people and horses in front of it, some standing on wagons.

From long-lost factory sites to photographs and first-hand accounts.

 

A Nationwide Search

This hobby has taken me all over the country, to parts of New Zealand I might not otherwise have seen, and introduced me to people who generously share their knowledge, records, and memories. I still enjoy tracking down a long-forgotten factory site, uncovering a photograph, or hearing another piece of the story.

I hope those of you who like reading about New Zealand's industrial and social history enjoy this website as much as I continue to enjoy adding to its content.