The Tiaro Butter Factory

Tiaro Butter Factory which was moved to Murgon in 1913. Source: State Library of Queensland. 

Dairy farming has been an important industry on the Fraser Coast and surrounding areas since the late 1800s. Tiaro had one of the first butter factories in Queensland. Baron Jones built the factory near the railway station in the early 1880s and used horses to churn butter. Cheese factories were built at Tiaro in 1890 and 1894.

The Tiaro Butter Factory was closed temporarily on the 1^st of July 1897 due to a short supply of milk. The Maryborough Chronicle cites “On the whole the season has been fairly good, but the supply very short for a district like Tiaro. This, however, was principally owing to the winter last year being so severe, also the year before, when great numbers of milking cows died, and last spring being so dry”. Although it opened again, it struggled to make a profit.

In 1907 “A meeting held on Tuesday evening (7^th December)… with regards to the purchase of the Tiaro factory and formation of a co-operative concern” occurred (Maryborough Chronicle). This was the beginning of the Tiaro Dairy Co-operative Company. The process of local dairy farmers buying shares in cheese and butter factories was common by the early 1900s in Queensland.

“In 1908 Tiaro Dairy Co-operative Company was established, with a butter factory built of timber opening in the township in the same year. A significant number of cream suppliers to the factory were from the South Burnett, from areas such as Goomeri, Kilkivan and Murgon. A cream receiving depot was established in Murgon, where cream was forwarded to Tiaro by rail. By 1912, 84 percent of the Tiaro butter factory's cream supply was sourced from the South Burnett and a correspondingly large number of the co-operative's shareholders were from the region. A meeting of shareholders in August 1912 voted to move the factory's operations to Murgon” (Queensland Heritage Register).

The Maryborough Chronicle  of July 9, 1912 reports that “A meeting of cream suppliers was held in Reilly’s Hall on Saturday afternoon and was well attended, over 40 being present… (and) after a long discussion, the motion that the offer be accepted for the removal of the Tiaro factory (to Murgon) when put to the meeting, was unanimously carried amidst much applause”.

Opening of the Sourth Burnett Co-operative Association Ltd, 9th March, 1929. Source: State Library of Queensland

South Burnett Co-operative Dairy Association Ltd., Murgon, ca. 1935. Source: State Library of Queensland

Do you have any memories of the dairy industry on the Fraser Coast?

References:

Maryborough Chronicle 8^th July, 1897 The Tiaro Dairy Factory  retrieved 20^th May, 2020.

Maryborough Chronicle 17^th December, 1907 Dallarnil – The Tiaro Butter Factory retrieved 20^th May, 2020.

Maryborough Chronicle 9^th July, 1912 Murgon Butter Factory retrieved 20^th May, 2020.

Queensland Heritage Register South Burnett Co-operative Dairy Association Factory (former) retrieved 20^th May, 2020.

Tags #dairy #butter #Tiaro #factory #Murgon #cream