Big Saddleworth Butter Factory opened 1951, closed 1968. Built with Mount Gambier Limestone blocks. South Australia
*Saddleworth, Tuesday, Jan 17, 1950
Big Milk Products Factory at Saddleworth — Since the return of the stone masons on the A W Sandford & Co Ltd, factory on last Monday, the erection of the walls have been rapid. By the week-end the greater majority of the walls have been completed and the townspeople can now judge the size of the building. By next week-end, all stonework should be finished and the carpenters are expected to be well ahead with the construction of the roof.
*Trust Timber Framed Homes for Saddleworth
On Monday morning, the townspeople were given their first indication that the Housing Trust are shortly going to commence their building programme. A large semitrailer of timber arrived on the site from Adelaide. The Trust are building six single unit timber framed homes on their purchased site on the Marrabel Road.
Ref: Northern Argus (Clare SA) Wednesday 18 January 1950.
Modern Factory Being Built
Saddleworth August 24
A milk and cheese factory being erected in the town by A W Sandford & Co Ltd, would be one of the most modern of its type in Australia if not the world, the factory manager (Mr H Grove) told a meeting of the Agricultural Bureau.
Many new features had been incorporated in its construction and plant.
The company has invited dairymen and others to inspect the factory on Show Day, September 23.
Ref: Advertiser (Adelaide SA) Friday 25 August 1950.
*Tuesday December 5 1950
Big Saddleworth Butter Factory
Work on A W Sandford's new Factory has been stationary for some months owing to the shortage o£ some vital equipment. This week, however, a further move was made by the arrival of a huge boiler unit and some heavy electric motors. The iron drop curtain doors have been installed.
*Trouble With the State Electricity at Saddleworth — On Tuesday, Nov 28, a serious electric fault developed in the Trust Power lines and much inconvenience was caused. Same sections of the town's lines were only giving about half voltage, with the result that many electric motors were over heating. On other sections of the line, double voltage was experienced with the result that at least 10 radios, 3 refrigerators motors and dozen of globes were burnt out. At the post office most of the trunk line channels were out of action for several hours.
Ref: Northern Argus (Clare SA) Wednesday 6 December 1950.
*A W Sandford & Co's Cheese Factory at Saddleworth, is rapidly nearing completion and it will soon be opened for production. Nearly all the vital equipment has been installed and now its modern layout can be seen. It is to be well lit and conditions for work will be pleasant. Ultraviolet lighting has been installed in the Testing Rooms to prevent and control unwanted cultures that are air borne. Steam pipes are being lagged and the large boilers is being lined with fire bricks. The Electricity Trust finished installing a special Transformer unit for the factory. The actual date of operation is not yet known.
Ref: Blyth Agriculturist (SA) Wednesday 11 July 1951.
*A W Sandford & Co's Cheese Factory in operation
A W Sandford & Co Ltd, started receiving milk for their Cheese Factory at Saddleworth on Monday morning Aug 20, and by the end of the week, many cheeses both large and small were on the racks. The actual cheese making commenced on Wednesday morning and many local people followed the interesting process.
It is learnt that Mr Bob McGregor, a former Riverton boy, has been appointed manager of the factory. Mr McGregor, who was a school mate of the Saddleworth Correspondent, has been in the cheese and butter making industry since leaving school. When interviewed on Wednesday, Mr McGregor stated that the new factory was very modern and the latest equipment took much of the back breaking work out of the manufacture of cheese.
On Wednesday morning we watched the process. The ten gallon cans of milk are tipped into a large stainless steel weighing vat, each producer's milk is handled separately, where it is weighed and a sample automatically taken by a vacuum pump. The milk is then released into a 500 gallon tank and pumped by an electric pump into a gleaming steel pastueriser. In the matter of feet it is heated to approx 180 degrees, held for a period of time and then cooled rapidly under pressure and then pumped into a 1,000 gallon stainless steel vat. Cheese culture is added and then rennet. The milk is constantly stirred by a moving motor with large steel paddles and then allowed to set. The 'Junket' is then cut with fine mesh and two hours of stirring commences to release the whey. This is then run away and the curds heaped up to drain. These are constantly turned and after another two hours put through a machine that slices it like chipped potatoes. Salt is stirred in and the cheese is then placed into moulds. Presses exerting up to 6½ tons compress the cheese and they are left the night with a constant pressure of 25 lbs per square inch on them. The milk in all its processes goes through stainless steel. In an interview with Mr H Groves, the General Manager of the firm, he stated that the public would have the opportunity of seeing cheese being made on Show Day, Sept 22, when the factory will be opened for inspection.
The town must pay a tribute to the firm of A W Sandford & Co Ltd, for their enterprise and faith in the district, for opening such a modern factory in the town. I would say it is the most important thing that has happened since completion of the railway and the establishment of the flour mill (long gone) years ago.
Ref:Northern Argus (Clare SA)Wednesday 29 August 1951.
*CRITICISM OF ELECTRIC LIGHT AND POWER AT SADDLEWORTH
Frequent power black-outs and half phasing over the last few months has caused considerable inconvenience to the users of electric power in the town. On Sunday, half phasing was experienced for many hours during the day and housewives were grumbling about it. It also caused serious trouble in the cheese factory where many hundreds of gallons of milk could not be processed until late afternoon. Lack of power also caused trouble when the waste water from the factory could not be pumped away.
Ref: The Northern Argus (Clare SA) Wednesday 28 November, 1951.
Big Saddleworth Butter Factory opened 1951, closed 1968. Built with Mount Gambier Limestone blocks. South Australia
*Saddleworth, Tuesday, Jan 17, 1950
Big Milk Products Factory at Saddleworth — Since the return of the stone masons on the A W Sandford & Co Ltd, factory on last Monday, the erection of the walls have been rapid. By the week-end the greater majority of the walls have been completed and the townspeople can now judge the size of the building. By next week-end, all stonework should be finished and the carpenters are expected to be well ahead with the construction of the roof.
*Trust Timber Framed Homes for Saddleworth
On Monday morning, the townspeople were given their first indication that the Housing Trust are shortly going to commence their building programme. A large semitrailer of timber arrived on the site from Adelaide. The Trust are building six single unit timber framed homes on their purchased site on the Marrabel Road.
Ref: Northern Argus (Clare SA) Wednesday 18 January 1950.
Modern Factory Being Built
Saddleworth August 24
A milk and cheese factory being erected in the town by A W Sandford & Co Ltd, would be one of the most modern of its type in Australia if not the world, the factory manager (Mr H Grove) told a meeting of the Agricultural Bureau.
Many new features had been incorporated in its construction and plant.
The company has invited dairymen and others to inspect the factory on Show Day, September 23.
Ref: Advertiser (Adelaide SA) Friday 25 August 1950.
*Tuesday December 5 1950
Big Saddleworth Butter Factory
Work on A W Sandford's new Factory has been stationary for some months owing to the shortage o£ some vital equipment. This week, however, a further move was made by the arrival of a huge boiler unit and some heavy electric motors. The iron drop curtain doors have been installed.
*Trouble With the State Electricity at Saddleworth — On Tuesday, Nov 28, a serious electric fault developed in the Trust Power lines and much inconvenience was caused. Same sections of the town's lines were only giving about half voltage, with the result that many electric motors were over heating. On other sections of the line, double voltage was experienced with the result that at least 10 radios, 3 refrigerators motors and dozen of globes were burnt out. At the post office most of the trunk line channels were out of action for several hours.
Ref: Northern Argus (Clare SA) Wednesday 6 December 1950.
*A W Sandford & Co's Cheese Factory at Saddleworth, is rapidly nearing completion and it will soon be opened for production. Nearly all the vital equipment has been installed and now its modern layout can be seen. It is to be well lit and conditions for work will be pleasant. Ultraviolet lighting has been installed in the Testing Rooms to prevent and control unwanted cultures that are air borne. Steam pipes are being lagged and the large boilers is being lined with fire bricks. The Electricity Trust finished installing a special Transformer unit for the factory. The actual date of operation is not yet known.
Ref: Blyth Agriculturist (SA) Wednesday 11 July 1951.
*A W Sandford & Co's Cheese Factory in operation
A W Sandford & Co Ltd, started receiving milk for their Cheese Factory at Saddleworth on Monday morning Aug 20, and by the end of the week, many cheeses both large and small were on the racks. The actual cheese making commenced on Wednesday morning and many local people followed the interesting process.
It is learnt that Mr Bob McGregor, a former Riverton boy, has been appointed manager of the factory. Mr McGregor, who was a school mate of the Saddleworth Correspondent, has been in the cheese and butter making industry since leaving school. When interviewed on Wednesday, Mr McGregor stated that the new factory was very modern and the latest equipment took much of the back breaking work out of the manufacture of cheese.
On Wednesday morning we watched the process. The ten gallon cans of milk are tipped into a large stainless steel weighing vat, each producer's milk is handled separately, where it is weighed and a sample automatically taken by a vacuum pump. The milk is then released into a 500 gallon tank and pumped by an electric pump into a gleaming steel pastueriser. In the matter of feet it is heated to approx 180 degrees, held for a period of time and then cooled rapidly under pressure and then pumped into a 1,000 gallon stainless steel vat. Cheese culture is added and then rennet. The milk is constantly stirred by a moving motor with large steel paddles and then allowed to set. The 'Junket' is then cut with fine mesh and two hours of stirring commences to release the whey. This is then run away and the curds heaped up to drain. These are constantly turned and after another two hours put through a machine that slices it like chipped potatoes. Salt is stirred in and the cheese is then placed into moulds. Presses exerting up to 6½ tons compress the cheese and they are left the night with a constant pressure of 25 lbs per square inch on them. The milk in all its processes goes through stainless steel. In an interview with Mr H Groves, the General Manager of the firm, he stated that the public would have the opportunity of seeing cheese being made on Show Day, Sept 22, when the factory will be opened for inspection.
The town must pay a tribute to the firm of A W Sandford & Co Ltd, for their enterprise and faith in the district, for opening such a modern factory in the town. I would say it is the most important thing that has happened since completion of the railway and the establishment of the flour mill (long gone) years ago.
Ref:Northern Argus (Clare SA)Wednesday 29 August 1951.
*CRITICISM OF ELECTRIC LIGHT AND POWER AT SADDLEWORTH
Frequent power black-outs and half phasing over the last few months has caused considerable inconvenience to the users of electric power in the town. On Sunday, half phasing was experienced for many hours during the day and housewives were grumbling about it. It also caused serious trouble in the cheese factory where many hundreds of gallons of milk could not be processed until late afternoon. Lack of power also caused trouble when the waste water from the factory could not be pumped away.
Ref: The Northern Argus (Clare SA) Wednesday 28 November, 1951.