Oakura

Taranaki

22 May

Dates: 1892-1926
Location: 1277 South Road, Kaitake, Taranaki (-39.126422, 173.950966)
Registration No: 84, 729
Brand names: CROWN; OAKURA; LILY

The concept of a butter factory to serve the Oakura district farmers was first mooted at a meeting of settlers at the Oakura Hotel on Monday, 7 February 1887.

The attendees agreed to form a company and canvas potential shareholders and to meet again in four weeks time. They also agreed that a site on Mr Looney’s farm on the banks of the Wairau stream would be appropriate and Mr Looney agreed to lease his water-wheel and race to the company at a low rent.

Some disquiet about unity was expressed at the meeting and it quickly became apparent that this was well-founded as a letter to the Taranaki Herald six weeks after the initial meeting mentions that all talk about establishing a dairy factory had died out.

The Oakura butter factory was eventually built by the Crown Dairy Company in 1892 on the site of Mr Looney’s orchard on the banks of the Wairau Stream.

On 23 August 1898, ownership of the factory and land was transferred to the newly formed farmer-owned Oakura Co-operative Dairy Factory Company Limited. The Oakura Co-op eventually expanded to have three creameries - one at Tataramaika (called Timaru), one at Pitone Beach and one on Koru Road (which only lasted for a couple of seasons).

Running a factory was not without its trials and tribulations (not to mention expense) with natural disasters, regular maintenance, broken machinery, turnipy milk and managers adding water to milk seemingly commonplace!

In 1914, the Oakura Co-op approached the Okato Co-op to see whether the companies could amalgamate but ultimately voted for the status quo.

At a meeting in Oakura Hall in February 1915, suppliers and local farmers discussed changing from butter production to cheese production given the higher cheese prices.

The directors proposed building a central cheese factory at Timaru, though some suppliers were concerned about the longer distance needed to transport milk. Others suggested a second factory near Oakura.

After discussion, the meeting voted in favour of moving into cheese production. The directors were asked to investigate the cost of building a factory at Timaru and the possibility of a branch factory near Oakura before reporting back.

Subsequent meetings confirmed centralising cheese production at the Timaru site given there was more space for growth. With the local Tataramaika suppliers deciding to form their own co-operative company (Patua) and build a cheese factory, the Oakura Co-op decided to go into voluntary liquidation in 1915 with the Pitone Beach creamery also closing down.

The Omata Co-operative Dairy Factory Company Limited purchased the Oakura factory on 29 October 1915, stripped out the butter-making plant and operated the Oakura factory as a creamery until its closure in 1926 and sale to Mr Marsh on 20 May 1927.