Stanhope factory says ‘cheese’ | Corowa Free Press
The pictorial book, commissioned by dairy giant Fonterra, celebrates 100 years since the Stanhope and District Co-operative Dairy company was established.
The factory was originally run on steam supplied by wood-burning engines and managed from an old house.
The Mullins family (and their herd) from Kyabram are one of the families pictured in the Fonterra anniversary book.
Milk was brought into the factory by horse and cart in the days without refrigeration, and the production was limited to butter and cheese.
The book documents the growth of the factory through successive ownership changes until it became part of the Fonterra family in 2005.
It also describes the symbiotic relationship with the town and the dairy industry —Stanhope’s ‘Legendairy’ win in 2015, the support for the local field days and the partnership with the town’s Men’s Shed.
The book tells the story of the disastrous fire that destroyed the cheese room at the factory in 2015, and the subsequent commitment by Fonterra to build a bigger and better factory.
…..