Awatuna

Taranaki

12 Dec

Dates: 1894-1989
Location: 1264 Auroa Road, Awatuna 4679, Taranaki (-39.4352, 174.04580)
Registration No: 60
Brand names: ANGEL logo; AWATUNA; TAUNGATARA

Following a meeting on 7 June 1894, The Awatuna Co-operative Dairy Factory Company Limited was incorporated on 25 July 1894 by local farmers who joined forces due to dissatisfaction with The Crown Dairy Company and the distance required to transport their milk to the Crown creameries on the Eltham Road and on the bank of the Taungatara Stream.

After some debate about the factory location, a site of two acres was finally purchased from Mr Frederich Ritz for £4. Tenders were called for the erection of a cheese factory in July 1894 and the successful tenderer was Mr Baker for £384. Tenders were soon called for the erection of a cottage and whare with Mr Edward Young’s tender of £10/18/-being successful.

The cheese factory opened on Thursday 1 November 1894 with Mr Cox as the first Manager.

By 1896, it became obvious that the company needed a butter plant which was installed and operational by September 1896.

In September 1898, a separate butter room was erected.

With the success of the Awatuna and Pihama co-operative factories, discontent among the Crown Dairy Company suppliers at Eltham Road and Taungatara grew to the extent that in October 1898, a delegation of those suppliers requested the Awatuna company to establish a branch factory in the Taungatara district. The Crown Dairy Company were approached to buy their creamery but the offer was rebuffed. So the Awatuna company built a creamery at Taungatara (see Taungatara (Awatuna) for more details).

The Taungatara creamery was replaced by a cheese factory in 1907.

The Awatuna company also opened a creamery on Patiki Road which appears to have operated between 1901 and 1906 before being advertised for removal in April 1918 (see Patiki Road (Awatuna) for more details).

Power was installed in the main factory in 1923-24.

Awatuna factory 1930 - photographer unknown

By 1930, the the main Awatuna factory could no longer handle the volume of milk available and tenders were called for a brand new factory and butter room. Mr J Simmons was awarded the contract for £9,050 and the new factory was built beside the old one.

On 2 February 1936, a flood severely damaged, washed away and undermined parts of the Taungatara branch factory and road access making it unsafe to rebuild.

The suppliers decided to rebuild the factory further west of the old factory and the successful tenderer was Messrs Boon Bros for a contract price of £9,524. Plant was installed by the National Dairy Association at a cost of £3,185. The new factory was opened on 10 March 1937.

In 1951, the company changed its name from The Awatuna Co-operative Dairy Factory Company Limited to The Awatuna Co-operative Dairy Company Limited.

The mid-20th century saw major changes in the dairy industry, including improved transport and the introduction of milk tankers to the Awatuna and Taungatara factories in 1962. By 1969, all milk was being collected by tanker.

In 1973, the Awatuna and Taungatara factories ceased production and their registrations were cancelled on 17 September 1973. The factories began supplying milk directly to the Rennet Company in Eltham for specialist cheese making with surplus milk going to the Taranaki Dairy Company which had its headquarters in Stratford. Most assets of the Co-op were sold, except for the Awatuna store which continued trading. That contract ended in 1989 when the Awatuna Co-op joined Kiwi Dairies of Hāwera as part of industry-wide mergers.

As well as the factories, the Awatuna Co-op also established a Trading Store to supply farmers with everyday necessities. Located at the corner of Eltham and Auroa Roads, the store continued operating for many years after the merger before eventually closing and being demolished.

Trade marks used by the company include AWATUNA and TAUNGATARA and the company also registered an ANGEL logo in 1894 for cheese and butter which expired in 1909. It is unclear whether the ANGEL logo was ever used.

As at December 2025, the main Awatuna factory is still standing although part of the roof collapsed following 2025 winter storms. The shell of the first Taungatara factory is still standing as is the second Taungatara cheese factory. It is unclear whether there are any physical remains of the Patiki Road creamery.