Owaka

Otago

28 Oct

Dates: 1890-1922
Location: 2 Mason Road, Owaka, Otago (-46.436735, 169.640734)
Registration No: 53; 1647; 285
Brand name: OWAKA; LAUREL

Early Efforts and Establishment (1888-1890)

The story of the Owaka dairy factory began in 1888, when a series of meetings discussed the possibility of establishing a dairy factory in the district. By 1890 the idea had become reality. A factory was built by Mr Walter on land owned by Thomas Brown, with Mr Marshall appointed as its first manager. The factory began life making butter, serving the growing dairying industry around Owaka. In 1891, Mr Henderson soon took over as manager, but the factory’s early years were far from settled.

Growth, Management and Early Struggles (1890-1894)

In October 1892, Thomas Brown leased the factory for seven years to Mr Birch of Dunedin and Mr Henderson, the former manager. Alfred John Gall of Dunedin and Walter Wright of Owaka subsequently became involved in the business investing £200. However, the partnership soon ran into difficulties. In 1893, Mr Birch, who had been expected to supervise and manage the factory, left the business, leaving Gall and Wright to take over its operation. In May, Thomas Brown the owner died of burns sustained from a candle upset. The following year brought another setback. Falling prices made the business increasingly difficult to sustain and, in May 1894, the factory closed when Mr Birch refused to provide further funds to complete the 1893–94 season. William Brown, as appointed trustee to wind up the business.

In September 1894, the factory was leased to J. D. Heenan, proprietor of the Maungatua Dairy Factory.

Owaka factory - unknown photographer - circa 1902 - From L-R - W Landreth, Kate Logan and Alex Roger

Changing Ownership and Cheese Production Era (1894-1920)

Mr Heenan ran the factory for two years until its purchase in 1896 by the Dunedin Meat and Export Company of New Zealand Limited who also purchased the Ratanui factory. That company became the New Zealand Co-operative and Agency Company Limited in 1897 but went into liquidation in 1898. The Owaka factory was advertised for sale and was later purchased by Oswald Crawford who also purchased the Tahatika factory. In September 1901, the Taieri and Peninsula Milk Supply Company acquired the Owaka and Tahatika factories and continued operating Owaka as a butter factory.

From 1907, the factory operated primarily as a cheese plant, with a succession of managers including Mr Ballantyne, Mr James Leask, Mr Colin McDonald and Mr Farquharson.

Transition and Final Use (1920-1922)

In 1920, the McDonald Brothers took over operations, producing cheese under the LAUREL brand for two seasons. Their tenure marked the final phase of cheese manufacturing at Owaka

In 1922, a co-operative butter factory opened in Owaka township hastening the demise of the Owaka cheese factory which was taken over by Henry Brough, who repurposed the building as a bacon factory ending 32 years of butter and cheese production from the factory originally begun by the pioneering efforts of Thomas Brown in 1890.