Wingrove Road

Taranaki

1 Feb

Dates: 1902-1958
Location: 798 Wingrove Road, Pukengahu, Taranaki (-39.390913, 174.418287)
Registration No: 1050 from 1913 when it began producing cheese (in late 1912)
Brand names: ELTHAM

This creamery was built by the Eltham Co-operative Dairy Company Limited in 1902 on land sub-divided from the property owned by Isaac Sanderson.

Milk was separated at the creamery before being carted (at one time by Mr Jock Taylor) to the Cheal Road factory to make butter.

The factory started making cheese in December 1912 and from March to September 1915, the Pukengahu post office operated out of the factory.

During the flu epidemic, everyone in the area turned up at the factory for their inoculation to combat the virus. Unfortunately, one of the factory’s former managers (Mr Bertram E Cooper) died of influenza in December 1918.

In February 1933, one of the factory worker’s houses was completely destroyed by fire and in October 1933, the factory started making casein.

The last suppliers before the factory closed on 1 April 1958 were H and L Kirk, T Rae, Hansen (milking for C Coplestone) and K Herivel.

Mr Laurence Kirk recalls that the factory was, at the last, run down to a standstill with a shovel or two full of coal left and a couple of well worn brushes, about all the once proud factory had to boast about on its closing day.

After its closure, one of the factory houses was shifted to Waihapa and the factory was dismantled. As at February 2026, only some concrete foundations remain.

Managers included: