Ex-factory workers take trip down memory lane
Monday, 12 December 2016
Did you know in 1940 a factory at Underwood was the first to make Milo in New Zealand?
Geoff and Hilary McLeod came across the snippet of information while researching the history of the old Nestlé NZ factory at Underwood. It was known earlier as the Underwood Dairy Factory.
The McLeods, of Invercargill, worked at the factory. Geoff was a fitter-turner for two and a half years, while Hilary worked two years in the office.
Geoff worked on the factory's last day in 1964. It was owned at the time by Nestlé NZ.
He believed the cost of transporting ingredients to Underwood and sending the finished product north was a reason Nestlé NZ move the production plant to Auckland.
The McLeods are in a 10-member group gathering information on the factory's history. Their goal is to produce a booklet for Southland Heritage Month in March.
Condensed milk was the main product made during the factory's 74 years. Reduced cream, milo, ideal milk and coffee & milk were other products made there.
'Butter was made during the war years,' Hilary McLeod said.
The factory opened in 1890.
William Blair was the first owner before A H Highton became the second in 1893. Highton resigned as headmaster at Southland Boys' High School to run the business. He was the school's second headmaster.
Other owners of the factory, with their purchase date in brackets, were Murrays Limited (1901), New Zealand Milk Products Ltd (1915) and Nestlé NZ (1938).
Part of the factory has since been demolished but another section of it is used by the Isla Bank Butchery.
The idea to do research and make a booklet on the factory's history came from Geoff McLeod. He was prompted after seeing a photo on Facebook of the factory in its heyday.
As well as the McLeods, six others in the research group formerly worked at the factory.
In the group is the great granddaughter of the man who designed a machine to put lids on cans at the factory.
The McLeods intend to visit rest home residents to see if they have information on the factory's history.
'We want to talk to people who worked at the factory, we hope to have a reunion,' Hilary McLeod said.