300 



Joiiniitl of Agriculinrc. Viclorm. 



I 10 May. 1919. 



on the present factory site at the bridge over the Werribee River, in 

 Grant-street. A picture showing one of the nioden. concrete irrigation 

 channels, with hicerne crop adjoining, which is rejjroduced liereniuh'r, 

 was taken from this bridge. 



In 1893, Mr. Thos. Anderson built a factory, and manufactured 

 butter here for about five years, and he then also started concentrating 

 milk, both for local and export trade. This business had a successful 

 career, but was eventually bought out by the Bacchus Marsh Concen- 

 trated Milk Company in 1909, and its milk supply was transferred to, 

 and treated at, the factory at the bridge. 



The Dairymen's Co-operative Association was foi'med in 1911, and 

 commenced operations in a new factory, off Main-street, with a su[)i)ly 

 of 5,000 gallons of milk a day, which at first was separated and the 

 cream manufactured into butter. After operating for a few months as 



A View, looking east, from Grant-street. 



a butter factory, a demand set in from Melbourne for fresh pasteurised 

 milk and table cream, and it was not long before over 2',000 gallons of 

 pasteurised fresh milk, in addition to a quantity of cream, were being 

 sent away daily for the city retail trade. This continued for about 

 four years, when the Federal Milk Company was formed, and arrange- 

 ments made for the purchase of all the milk the Dairymen's Co-operative 

 Association could su])ply, and this com])any erected their present com- 

 modious factory as an extension of the Co-operative plant. 



The whole of the milk produced locally is purchased by tliese factories 

 on its butter fat basis, the price ranging from 5d. to 6d. ])er lb. over top 

 butter factory rates, which is really equivalent to a trifle over 2d. per 

 gallon for the skimmed milk over and above the mark<>t price of the 

 butter fat it contained. 



The maiiufactured ])roducts of the*c factories at prcscni consist of 

 concentrated milk — both in bulk and small tins — pasteurised tabic 



