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During my research for information about the Cheddar Valley
Dairy, I came across mention of
Another Cheddar Valley Dairy in New Zealand
!
For the following information.
I am
indebted to Margaret & Stuart Slade, owners of the Cheddar Valley Pottery
1034 Wainui Rd Ohope New Zealand
And to Mary
White. Great Grand daughter of Henry White one of the founders
of the Cheddar Valley co-operative Dairy in New Zealand.
The building is situated in the Cheddar Valley on the North
Island, on the road between Ohope (a holiday town on a
beautiful beach) & Opotiki, it is also a tourist route along
the Eastern Bay of Plenty/East Cape route. And is now the
home of the Cheddar Valley Pottery.
View Larger Map
The small concrete/roughcast factory was built in the
Cheddar Valley in 1915, by a group of 10 farmers, with 300
hand milked cows. The farmers formed a Co-operative to
build & run the factory. Materials to build the factory was
carted by horse
& cart, & plant was brought to the site via the Ohiwa
Harbour which is very
nearby. The river across the present road, runs into the
harbour about 500m
downstream. The butter was either transported by row boat
down the harbour
to the Kutarere Wharf, or by horse & cart, then taken by
steamer to
Auckland. By March 1922, when motorised transport became
available, some of
the farmers were sending cream to Opotiki, 25kms to the
east, where they
could get a little more money. 3 1/2 years later (September
1927), the
company went in to voluntary liquidation. The factory was
stripped of plant
and sold. The building became derelict, & was used as a farm
building,
mainly for storing hay. Two big holes were made in the back
wall, for
vehicle access, but the 3 sides of the building, visible to
the now main
road, remain original.
We purchased the factory in 1984, & the 2 acres land
title, which also had
an almost brand new house on. We bought it so my hobby
as a potter could
grow. I became a fulltime potter, Stuart was a Teaching
Principal, commuting
the 25kms daily, in to Opotiki. 11 years ago, he gave up
teaching, & is now
(It is not known who named
the area Cheddar Valley? But its possible that, it was
someone who knew or had a connection to our own Somerset
Cheddar area)? JR.
From correspondence with Mary White. Gt.grand-daughter of
Henry White, who migrated to New Zealand from Horningsham,
on Lord Baths estate at Longleat Nr Frome Som. at the turn
of the century and helped set up the dairy there.
It appears that the area got its name from the Cheddar
Valley Co-op Dairy!
Being involved in
the family farmhouse cheese making business. It is most
likely that Henry White knew our cheddar area and even possible, that
he had dealings with our own Cheddar Valley Dairy? Which may
have influenced his choice of name for the new dairy?
From:
Mary White
Date:
11/01/2008 23:42:33
To:
'John Rigarlsford'
Subject:
RE: The Cheddar Valley Dairy!
Hi John
My G
Grandfather Henry was born at Brookover Farm near Frome and then farmed at Park
Farm Lullington, moved briefly to Sleight Farm, Timsbury (they still make cheese
here) where my grandfather was born. My grandfather Charlie was a babe in arms
when the family sailed on the Aorangi to NZ in 1894. They lived first in
Taranaki at Matipu/Kaponga, then at Whakamaru near Hawera, shifted to Kapuni
(leasing out the Whakamara farm) then to Wainui in the Bay of Plenty about
1906. They arrived after major flooding and my great aunt Daisy used to tell
tales of the family walking the muddy road from Whakatane (10miles away), behind
a bullock drawn cart, coming to Wainui.
In
Taranaki Henry and his brother John were both involved with the setting up of
several dairy companies. There is a wonderful website
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/ where you can see old Hawera & Normandy
Star newspapers and read about the setting up of Mells Dairy Coop (another name
you would recognise) at Whakamara - there is a very detailed account of this
factory dated 18 December 1903 that you might find of interest. Henry was also
involved with the set up of West Coast Refrigerating Company, Ltd. About 1905
Mells factory was shifted to Mokoia.
Henry
maintained contact with Frome from NZ - he sent cheeses back from Kaponga to the
Frome show in 1897. When I visited Corsley three years ago I met Graham and
Jean White at Pool farm - descended from my G Grandfather's uncle John. They
showed me the White graves at Corsley churchyard.
My GG
Grandfather also Henry White was born at Stalls Farm, near Corsley and he farmed
at Mad Doctor's - which later became High House farm. His father John was
baptised at Corsley and his Grandfather Exton at Horningsham. Exton's father
was also Exton was baptised at Longbridge Deverill and his father Jasper at
Horningsham.
I did
get copies of Longleat papers with any mention of WHITE's and these included
some mentions of WHITE's at Cheddar Valley, Somerset as well as Horningsham,
Longbridge Deverill and Corsley but any relationship would be distant as far as
I could tell although Longleat land link makes it look possible.
regards
Mary
White
Hi John
Attached
photo was taken in 2004 when I visited the pottery.
The
Cheddar Valley Coop Dairy Co records are held at Whakatane Museum - I have a few
copies of papers from here.
Minutes
of Meeting held at Mr O'Reilly's house on Sep 19th 1915
Present: Messrs J Keen,
Jews?, A Logan, A Malcolm, M O'Reilly, J O'Reilly, C J Pickard, H White, F W Wilkie, A J Withy.
It was
proposed and seconded that Mr Wilkie take the chair. Carried.
Mr Withy
was appointed secretary pro tem.
Report
of a committee consisting of Messrs White, O'Reilly and Withy was received and
approved.
After
some interesting discussion Mr Withy Proposed That a company be formed to run a
Home Separation Butter Factory provided we can get a minimum of 300 cows
guaranteed. Seconded by Mr Maldom and carried.
It was
resolved that the site for the factory be chosen between Wainui and Matekiripu
Mr
Wilkies name was added to the committee which was instructed to get various
information and report to the next meeting.
Resolved
that the secretary write to Mr Dempler Govt Dairy Expert re visiting the
district and conferring with the committee re site plans etc.
The
secretary was instructed to get out a cow guarantee and get it signed.
Mr White
undertook to call on Messrs Mason Struthers and Co and J G MacEwan while in
Auckland re cost of erecting and equipping a factory.
Secretary to get articles of association of Opotiki and Waiotahi factories for
comparison.
A vote
of thanks to Mr O Reilly for the use of his room and providing afternoon tea was
carried unanimously.
A vote
of thanks to the chairman concluded the meeting.
Confirmed this 25th day of March 1916
F
Wilkie Chairman
Minutes
of meeting held at Mr O Reilly house on March 25 1916
Present F W Wilkies, H
White, H W White, W S White M O Reilly H Fisher R J Abbot A Logan C ? Pickard A
Malcolm A J Withy.
Mr
Wilkie was voted to the chair.
Minutes
of previous meeting held Sep 29 1915 were read and confirmed.
Committees report was received and dealt with.
Secretary reported he had written to Mr Dempster Dairy expert who wired he
could meet us on 29th inst. After some discussion as to the advisability of
having factory site nearer to Kutarere. Mr A Malcolm moved that the resolution of
previous meeting that site be chosen between Matekerepu and ....
Minutes
of meeting July 26 1921
Resolved
that Messrs Harrison, Cunningham, Knight and Newton be paid the difference
between the two allocations on cream cartage. Moved Hawkins Sec Steed Carried.
That the
Manager Bank of New Zealand be requested to state who have pen signed the new
guarantees.
Moved
Gulde Sec ? Carried.
That Mr
C H Robinsons request be acceded to.
That the
Secretary order one case of separator oil.
That Mr
J H Pearson be appointed secretary.
Moved
Guld Sec Hawkins Carried.
That Mr
O'Reilly be paid two pounds per trip for cream cartage.
Moved
Hawkins Sec Carried.
That the
Opotiki County Council be requested to repair the road on the Matekerepu side of
the Waingara stream.
That the
Whakatane County Council be requested to metal the new cutting west of the
Wainui Bridge to enable cream lorry to run? immediately.
That the
following shares be allotted to the following shareholders to adjust the shares
to the amount paid up thereon.
F W
Wilkie 15
H White
11
M O
Reily 15
J
O'Reilly 15
S White
7
A Logan
13
A
Malcolm 7
H
Harrison 4
G J
Gulde 8
Resolved
that the following shares be allotted.
Mr
Albert Debreccna 50 shares No 1286-1335 inclusive
Mr
Joshua Brownlee 20 shares No 1536-1555 inclusive
Signed M
O'Reilly
Balance
Sheet and Profit and Loss
In 30
Jun 1927 the company had assets of 5449pounds which included Land, buildings,
Plant, wharf, Office equipment, shares in AFF Coy, Sundry debtors and Stock on
Hand (Butter, sundries).
Net
profit for year was 105pounds. There was a loss on realisation 1925-26 stock of
2651pounds.
Notice
of AGM 15 Sep 1927
Two
directors were retiring H N J Tipping and C H Robinson.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I
actually thought I had copies of final minutes where I think my grandfather
Charles White (home from the war and shifted back to Wainui from his farm at
Waiuku) proposed the factory be closed but I can not find these if indeed I
actually copied these.
His
brothers Stan and Wally (William Stanley and Henry Watson) both eventually did
manage to enlist Stan had varicous veins and insisted he could manage if on
horseback (served in Sinai with Auckland Mounted Rifles catching a bad case of
malaria) and Wally had a hernia but managed eventually to be accepted by army and
served in France where he was badly wounded. Both came back to Wainui but Stan
had a restless nature and moved from place to place finding it difficult to
settle.
I have
tried to find a direct link for White family and Cheddar Valley, Somerset but
can only track back to Horningsham in Wiltshire. In Longleat papers there were
White's associated with Cheddar Valley but I have been unable to make any
connection to date. The White's were tenant farmers on Longleat estates in
Wiltshire and then for Duckworth's at Orchardleigh, Somerset.
Unlike Taranaki,
I do not think any of the other initial shareholders were from Somerset and
forget now what discussion there was in meeting minutes about the name for the
new factory. Someday I may get back to Whakatane to look these up again - I had
mixed levels of welcome and help when I last visited.
My great
grandfather Henry and his brother John were involved in the set up of several
dairy factories in Taranaki so this would not have been a new thing for him.
From what I understand Henry made cheese at the farm at Wainui but the factory
never did.
My
mother came to the Wainui district as a teacher (mid 1940's) and boarded with
the Robinson's at Cheddar Valley - she met my father at a dance at the Waiotahi
hall after the second world war. The valley had a Maori name which alludes me
at the moment but became known as Cheddar Valley after the establishment of the
factory.
My
father would have been keen to know about your interest - he once did a
presentation to the Whakatane historical society about the Cheddar Valley Dairy
Coop - unfortunately his notes have disappeared and he died in late November
otherwise I am sure he could have added further information.
(My website provider has just emailled me that they are
changing - website name will change and ad's will appear, new site will be
http://www.mawhite.orconhosting.net.nz- I am less than thrilled but currently not
paying any charges so can not really complain).
regards Mary
White.
Mary
has a website with many Somerset connections at:
http://www.mawhite.orcon.net.nz/
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