Dairy Factories

Boisdale Butter Factory

John, Linda and Spencer are back at it, and working on the history of dairy factories. We didn't realise there were so many! We are working on a book in time for Mardi Gras, so need some help. The full list appears below, but we need further information, especially about those that do not appear on this list.

Dairy factories can be cheese factories, creameries (where the butter was made elsewhere), butter factories or condensed milk factories. Or even milk factories.

Maffra
Maffra Cheese Company 1870 to 1878 (Photos needed)
Fresh Food and Frozen Storage creamery 1891-1896
Maffra Concentrated Milk Company, became Bacchus Marsh Concentrated Milk Company, and then Nestles
Maffra Co-operative Milk Company formed in 1919, still there in Murray Goulburn.
The Willsmere Milk Company Pty Ltd

Mewburn Park / Tinamba
Heyfield Co-operative Butter Factory operated creameries at Tinamba (1892 - ) and Mewburn Park ( -1910). There may have also been a small early private cheese factory at Mewburn Park ( -1874). (Photos needed)

Heyfield
The Heyfield Butter Factory co-operative formed in 1891, with creameries at Tinamba, Glenmaggie, Dennison (photo needed), Mewburn Park and Maffra.

Glenmaggie
The Fresh Food and Frozen Storage Company opened a creamery in 1890 It was taken over in 1898 by the Heyfield Butter Factory and closed in 1907/1908.

Medowra
A small private cheese factory operated at Medowra, possibly in the 1870s/early 1880s, but re-opened by Tom Riggall in 1904 and operated until a short time after the start of World War I.

Newry/Upper Maffra
David Miller established a small private cheese factory on his property in 1873/1874, and replaced this with a large cheese factory in the town area in 1876 It was taken over by Fresh Food and Frozen Storage from Melbourne in 1889.
In 1904 the Upper Maffra Co-operative Butter Factory was formed, and built a large brick factory that was amalgamated with the Maffra Co-op in 1950

Boisdale
Operated as part of the Foster family subdivision, erected in 1903. In 1918 it was sold to the Bacchus Marsh Concentated Milk

Little Plain
John McDonald operated a cheese (later Butter) factory at Little Plain, at least 1889 to 1904. (Photo needed)

Valencia Creek
The Fresh Food and Frozen Storage Company established a creamery at Valencia Creek in 1894, and was purchased in 1910 by the syndicate that acquired the Bushy Park Estate. (Photo needed)

Briagolong
Built in 1873, it was still operating in 1904, and closed some time before 1910, when the buildings were sold for removal. (Photos needed)

There were a number of other small, family operated cheese factories. Details on these, especially photographs, would be most welcome.