The fire that destroyed the cheese room at the factory in 2015 could have put an end to Stanhope’s cheesemaking, but Fonterra decided to rebuild.
Photo by
Geoff Adams
For 100 years the Stanhope community’s fortunes have been linked with the factory in their midst, and a new book documents this close relationship.
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The pictorial book, commissioned by dairy giant Fonterra, celebrates 100 years since the Stanhope and District Co-operative Dairy company was established.
The factory was originally run on steam supplied by wood-burning engines and managed from an old house.
The Mullins family (and their herd) from Kyabram are one of the families pictured in the Fonterra anniversary book.
Milk was brought into the factory by horse and cart in the days without refrigeration, and the production was limited to butter and cheese.
The book documents the growth of the factory through successive ownership changes until it became part of the Fonterra family in 2005.
It also describes the symbiotic relationship with the town and the dairy industry —Stanhope’s ‘Legendairy’ win in 2015, the support for the local field days and the partnership with the town’s Men’s Shed.
The book tells the story of the disastrous fire that destroyed the cheese room at the factory in 2015, and the subsequent commitment by Fonterra to build a bigger and better factory.
The book also carries the photographs of dozens of workers who have started and made careers in the dairy industry.
Fonterra regional operations manager Steve Taylor said more than 100 years on, “milk is still flowing through the veins of our Stanhope factory and great-tasting dairy still rolls off the line”.
“This book has been a labour of love, and so far we have received great feedback from our people, our farmers and members of our community,” he said.
The cover of the new Fonterra Stanhope book.
“We have tried our best to bring some of the factory’s incredible history to life, and while it is hard to capture in its entirety, we have been able to share some of the amazing stories from our people and our farmers — both past and present — who have a connection to the factory in one way or another.
“We are proud to be part of the Stanhope community, and we’re proud that we have played a part in the incredible 100-year history of the Stanhope factory.”
The book tells the story of tradesman Ian Coote, pictured with a steam header installed in the factory in 1927. It now has a home on his Stanhope property. Ian also recalls in the book, how, in the 1980s when work practices were considerably looser, he was almost blown off the factory roof.
The book can be purchased for $5 from the Stanhope Business Centre in Birdwood Ave. All proceeds go to the business centre.
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