102 CLARENCE HIVER FRESH FISH COMPANY. 



APPENDIX. 



The Clarence Eiver Presli Pish and Canning Company 



(Limited). 



The following particulars respecting this company have been supplied by 

 Mr. Frederick A. Eankin, one of the promoters : — 



In the early part o£ the year 1888 it -was determined to test practically 

 the question whether Australian fish could be profitably preserved after the 

 style of English fresh herrings. Accordingly, in conjunction with my partner, 

 Mr. E. J. M'Donald, I initiated arrangements at Iluka, a village at the 

 Clarence Eiver Heads. This venture subsequently merged into the Clarence 

 Eiver Fresh Fish and Canning Company (Limited) . The fish treated consisted 

 of whiting, sea-bream, black-bream, sea-mullet, and flat-tail mullet. As ours 

 was the first attempt to place Australian preserved fish on the market, we 

 had of course to contend with all such difficulties as those that usually beset 

 the pioneers of a new industry. After repeated experiments we discovered 

 that the only kinds offish that could be profitably preserved were the mullet. 

 All the other species commanded too high a price in the market in the fresh- 

 caught state to admit of our company purchasing at a price which, for our 

 purposes, would yield profitable results ; indeed, it was only when there 

 happened to be a glut of fish that we could get anything but mullet from the 

 fishermen. Each basket of 80 lb. gross weight would average in the cans 

 only from 42 lb. to 45 lb. 



At the first start the demand for the article was so brisk that we found 

 difiiculty in providing the supply, but afterwards it began to slack off 

 and finally ceased altogether. The reason of this was that our agents 

 insisted upon our supplying them with cases of assorted kinds, to get which 

 we had to employ boats for the purpose. This was quite outside the proposed 

 objects of our company, and though it enabled us to provide the desired 

 assortments, we could not produce them at a j)rice to suit the public. 

 Moreover, as the bream and other fish of hard-spined formation possess 

 dense bone, which no amount of cooking will sotten, we found that our 

 treatment of those fish did not suit the popular taste. There was at one 

 time a prejudice against the sea mullet, but that has been overcome, and 

 fortunately so too, for when preserved in the proper season they really 

 rival the tinned English salmon — certainly they are, for preserving purposes, 

 the best fish in Australian waters. Our progress so far has proved that 

 a good article can be turned out at a fair profit, but we have not yet fully 

 completed arrangements for placing it properly upon the market. In this, 

 however, we anticipate but little difiiculty ; but whether the business will 

 ever become a large one will depend very much upon the possibility of being 

 able to draw our fish supply from the sea. It is believed that this can be 

 done, and in due time the company intends to make the experiment. Our 

 industry seems capable of great developments, but as yet we haA^e not ad- 

 vanced it beyond the embryo stage. The works of the company comprise 

 in the canning department all the latest and best appliances, and by a small 

 addition to the preserving department the company could, if required, turn 

 out 4,000 1-lb. tins per diem. The company is also erecting cooling 

 chambers for the storage of fish awaiting shipment in the fresh captured. 



