Longwarry loses dairy history

News that after 105 years of dairy production on the same site will end with closure of the Longwarry factory next year, will bring with it sadness and waves of nostalgia for many current and former Longwarry residents.
By the turn of the century on cleared land that had been leased under the Land Act of the 1870s there was the beginnings of an early dairy farming community. The arrival of the train line in 1877 played a big part in the growth, as milk buyers from Melbourne travelled around the district, buying milk at the farm gate and then each day, using hand separators, the farmer would place the cream in cans and take it to the station to be transported by train to Melbourne.
The process was not satisfactory for farmers as not all buyers from Melbourne could be relied on to pay quickly, if at all, and farmers began to think there must be a better system than this ad hoc way of selling their milk.
So, in 1919 a move to establish a milk depot in Longwarry was canvassed.
By 1921 The Longwarry and District Dairymen's Co-operative was formed. Farmer suppliers bought shares in the co-op and a building was constructed to deal with district supplies of milk. The capital required was set at £3000, in 8000 shares of £1 each, payable of 2/6 on application and 2/6 on allotment, the balance to be paid at the rate of 2/6 a share at periods not longer than three months.
When the factory opened, 1000 shares had been applied for and Messrs. Boxshall, Bain, Suelf, Crome, Lilley, Walters and Clifford were appointed provisional directors.
Throughout the 1920s, the factory prospered and the farmers were happy they now had a centralised and organised way to handle the sale of their milk.
However, the depression of the 1930s meant things became tough and at one stage only 13 farmers were supplying milk to the factory.
Outside help and finance was needed and the Larcher family, who were city milk processors and retail suppliers in Fitzroy, bought 51 per cent of the shares to take control and the remaining 49 per cent of the co-operative remained in local hands.
The injection of finance was just what was needed, farmers could be offered more for their milk and Larchers had a guaranteed supply of milk for their Melbourne customers.
The relationship lasted for 40 years and was to the benefit of all concerned as both businesses grew rapidly and were extremely successful.
The outbreak of war in 1939 changed things again, not just the markets overseas for the sale of produce, it also meant a significant change in the workforce.
The food industry was declared a protected industry. This meant there was a restriction on how many men could leave to enlist. Many did leave to fight in New Guinea and Europe, whilst those who stayed were given time off to join and train in a militia that was held back in case Australia was invaded. At the end of the war every man who had enlisted and wanted their job back were immediately re-employed.
Growth of the co-operative continued as the immediate post war expansion of population meant a significant boost in milk and dairy production.
By the mid 1950s, almost 50 per cent of Melbourne's liquid milk came from West Gippsland. Longwarry, Drouin and Warragul factories provided the major volume of this milk.
By the end of the 1960s the dairy industry was to undergo dramatic changes again as the days of the milk truck travelling the district collecting cans of milk at the farmer's gate were replaced by refrigeration and the cost-effective bulk handling.
This required massive investment money that the Larcher family, now led by Pat Dauber, could not afford, so the factory was put up for sale.
The large investment to keep the factory productive and competitive was taken up by an English company in 1972 and Longwarry became one of the Unigate Australia factories.
Locals saw results soon after the sale when two large milk receiving silos capable of holding 50,000 gallons of milk and unloading four refrigerated milk tankers at a time appeared on the skyline over the factory.
Over the years the factory won many awards for its produce. In 1976 and 1977 they were awarded the best full cream powdered milk in the land. In addition, international acclaim came their way with butter winning every major overseas dairy award.
In the days of being a co-operative with much of the factory owned by locals, it was more than just a workplace, it was part of the town.
As well as providing employment for many in Longwarry, the factory and its management have been acknowledged as playing a key role in the town and the district over time, with fundraising for local health facilities such as the West Gippsland Hospital and provision of labour and materials for community structures such as the Longwarry hall. Support for the local school and town organisations that required equipment or a few hands for a working bee were all part of the contribution.
When a fire emergency occurred, men not required for the safe maintenance of machinery, were released to fight fires. On many occasions the large milk tankers were loaded with water and taken out to the fire grounds to refill tankers. Local sportsmen were allowed to work short shifts or split shifts to represent the town in sport.
To be fair, subsequent owners also made contributions to life in Longwarry, but as it was no longer a co-operative owned by locals it was never quite the same. Whilst the connection to the town is now historical, the men and women who have had custodianship of the legacy of 1921 will now be out of work.
It is now more important than ever the history of this huge part of life in Longwarry is preserved. Anyone with photos, stories or memorabilia are asked to contact Longwarry and District History Group at longwarryanddistricthistory@gmail.com.au
The Longwarry and District History Group acknowledge the work of Graeme Butler for some of the detail provided in this history.