A condensed history of milk

For 72 years, the Underwood Milk Factory was a mainstay of the Southland economy, employing dozens of people and exporting products throughout New Zealand and across the world.

Former employee Geoff McLeod, along with 10 other amateur researchers, has been trying to piece together a history of the factory.

As well as trawling through archives in the museum and library, McLeod and his team have been in contact with many former employees and family members.

‘‘The intriguing part about it is the amount of people who are interested in the project.’’

McLeod said he had been inundated with photos, memorabilia and stories about the old factory from people in Southland and further afield.

The next plan step was to put together a book, which catalogued the story of the plant, he said.

‘‘The whole idea started on Facebook with a photo I uploaded of the old factory, we had so many people who were commenting on it.

‘‘It’s just grown and grown from there.’’

Long before Fonterra milk trucks were a familiar sight on Southland roads, a different fleet collected milk from dairy farms around the region.

Before its closure in 1963, 200 dairy farmers running 4200 cows supplied the factory, which produced products such as Milo, Milkmaid Coffee and Milk, Cremonne, as well as the Highlander Condensed Milk.

During the years the fleet morphed from horse-drawn carts to lorries, with even a few batterypowered Walker Electric Trucks making the rounds during the 1910s.

McLeod said that not everyone adapted to the new technology though, with one farmer still bringing in his 10 gallon cans of milk into the factory on his horse and cart as late as 1963.

The results of the research are currently on display at the pop-up museum at the Cambridge Arcade, with the exhibition open for its last day today.

As part of Southland Heritage Month, there will also be a reunion this afternoon at the Invercargill City Library – which is free and open to members of the public.

Former employee John Burgess said the factory’s closure was felt differently in the 1960s.

‘‘Back then there were no problems getting jobs – you could just walk down the street and get another one.

‘‘If it had happened now, it would have been a major issue.’’