BYRON BAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY Dairy Industry and Norco

BYRON BAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY Dairy Industry and Norco June 2015

Dairy Industry and Norco

Dairy Industry and Norco Development of the Dairy Industry: • Timber cutting and clearing of the “Big Scrub” declines in 1880’s after 30 + years logging (quote D. Johnson 1987 ) • 1880’s settlers from South Coast of NSW move to North Coast in large numbers; commence farming; cottage industry producing cream, butter, cheese • Planted cocksfoot, clover, lambs tongue grasses from south; not suitable for subtropical climate; limited production capability • 1892 Edwin Seccombe brings seeds of paspalum grass to Lismore; trial planting successful; and paspalum spreads rapidly through the Northern Rivers • 1892 Mr W. Moses calls a meeting at Clunes to form a central creamery; North Coast Fresh Food & Storage Co-op • Formed in 1894; shares issued; capital of $6266 (3, 133 Pounds)

Dairy Industry and Norco Major Players Dairy Industry – 1890’s W. Moses, W. Charles, J. Mc. Gregor, J Armstrong, G. Reading, A. Johnston

Dairy Industry and Norco Dairy Industry History in Northern Rivers: • 1880’s rapid development of small milk separation sites along coast and river systems; shift from cottage industry • 1884 first export of butter from Richmond; 100 kegs x 70 lbs • 1886 just 1 separation unit; 1, 641 in 1901; 5502 in 1911 • In 1896 NSW butter exports 269, 500 kgs; 1906 exports were 7, 796, 800 kgs • 1890 Woodburn factory built; 2 x 600 litres/per hour separators and a 227 kg/hour butter churn • Introduction of farm separation and daily milk transport sees demise of separation centers/factories • Quality demand electricity favour large, efficient, controlled, central factories “the stuff marketed as butter more in place on the axle than the breakfast table”

Dairy Industry and Norco History 1890’s - 1920’s: • Byron Bay jetty built 1888; Lismore to Mullumbimby rail link through Byron Bay opened May 1894; Murwillumbah link December 1894 • Rail and shipping via sea to Sydney favoured Byron Bay as Norco head office; wins by one vote over Lismore • Byron Bay factory built 1895; commenced production 5 June produced 520, 000 kgs of butter first year • In 1897 5070 pigs processed; 66, 395 processed in 1938 (300/day) • Bacon curing commences; first bacon to Sydney 21 September 1897 • 1897: opens depot at Murwillumbah making butter • 1898: opens depot at Lismore; exports using sea-going ships on the Richmond river • 1905: Norco producing 20% of NSW butter • 1925: North Coast Co-Op Ltd changes name to NORCO Co-Op Ltd

Dairy Industry and Norco Cream Transport to Factory 1910 Horse and wagon transporting cream - 1910

Dairy Industry and Norco Technology Changes Impacting Industry: • Development of Thomas Mort’s refrigeration system in 1857. • North Coast Steam Ship Company use refrigerated transport- from Byron Bay’s first jetty built 1888 • Rapid introduction of farm cream separation in 1890’s • Babcock fat testing system from 1893 leads to payment on fat content of milk rather than volume of milk and to herd improvement • Mort’s Dock milk pasteurizing plants introduced 1896 • Larger butter churns increase output from 18 to 100 boxes per time • Transport improvements (pack-horse to spring-carts to river boats to trucks to rail) mean quicker, cheaper, cleaner transport of larger volumes of cream and milk

Dairy Industry and Norco Pigs Unloaded at Byron Bay Rail Siding – 1920’s

Dairy Industry and Norco Slaughtered Pigs at Byron Bay Piggery – 1920’s

Dairy Industry and Norco Pigs Being Cut Into Ham and Bacon Portions -1920

Dairy Industry and Norco Bacon and Ham Brining and Curing Room -1950’s

Dairy Industry and Norco Making Sausages and Smallgoods -1950’s

Dairy Industry and Norco History 1920’s – 1960: • 1923: Norco opens own Sydney butter trading floor; replaces agents • By 1930 20 factories operated on FNC; 4000 + dairy farms producing 35% of NSW butter; 9, 500, 000 kgs/yr; over 60 different brands • 1940: 350 employees; $4. 2 million wages; $10 million to suppliers • 1943: opens Lismore retail trading store • 1949: commences milk powder production to use more milk • 1950: commences ice cream manufacture and packaged milk in bottles • 1956: commences cheese production • 1958: European Common Market reduces access for Australian products to British markets - forces diversification • Norco turns to making milk powder, cheese, ice cream, packaged milk for local and other markets; less reliance on export butter

Dairy Industry and Norco History 1960 - 2015: 1962: moves head office to Lismore, transfers ice cream making to Brisbane 1969: starts tanker bulk milk collection from farms 1970: has 7500 supplying farms and 5 factories 1972: closes Byron Bay butter making 1974: takes over Casino Co-Op 1975: closes Byron Bay small goods making 1976: wins milk war, gains access to Sydney milk market 1981: purchases CDA Co-op Raleigh, 3500 suppliers 1986: purchases PDS, sales exceed $100 million, employs 400+ people on FNC injecting more than $12 million/year into economy. Estimated 20% of FNC population dependent on Norco directly or indirectly; 2006: Dec takes out Parmalat’s 50% share in J. V

Dairy Industry and Norco Weighing, Sampling, Emptying Cream Cans

Dairy Industry and Norco 2. 5 Tonne Butter Churns – 1950’s

Dairy Industry and Norco Butter Packaging – 1950’s

Dairy Industry and Norco’s Clifford Street Office - Sydney 1929

Dairy Industry and Norco Premises – Byron Bay 1942

Dairy Industry and Norco’s Growth 1895 - 1970

Dairy Industry and Norco “Girls” Reunion 1988

Dairy Industry and Norco Premises – Byron Bay Aerial View 1966

Dairy Industry and Norco Premises – Byron Bay Aerial View 2015

Dairy Industry and Norco 2014: 180 supplying farms, from S. E. Queensland to Glouster Average farm supplies 933, 000 litres Total milk uptake of 163 million litres Three factories: - Lismore ice cream - Labrador milk packaging - Raleigh milk packaging • Employs over 700 people • Sales of $430 million • Pays $41 million in wages • •