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Dairy IndustryBackgroundDairying was the chief occupation of early farmers, and continues to be a major industry in the region.Early dairy farmers were encouraged to set up cooperative factories, for either butter or cheese. These were small operations, and as the poor conditions of the roads restricted transport, served farms within a 2 mile radius. These small factories were failures, and their economic situation was not helped by a series of droughts at the end of the 19th Century. Early in the 20th Century, larger butter factories were established at Archies Creek and Kurumburra. These two factories used horse-drawn carts to collect cream from farmers, often in competition. At the same time a whole milk market was developing in Melbourne. Farmers entered into contract to supply milk to milk companies, and this market was quite lucrative to the farmers. The milk had to be sent to Melbourne by train on a daily basis in the morning, so this market was only available to those farmers close to a railway station. Dairy Industry on the C&BFTI plan to have a butter factory at West Branch Junction, to represent the factory actually built at Archies Creek, only a few miles south. The butter factories bought cream, rather than whole milk. Apparently cream can last without refrigeration a lot longer than milk, up to a couple of days. Insulated vans attached to pick-up goods will pick up cream along the line and then be dropped at the butter factory. Finished product can then be dispatched to the broad gauge interchange in an insulated van. Butter factories also used fuel for their boilers, in this case either firewood or coal would be possible. Therefore the butter factory will receive regular shipments of whatever fuel management decides is most economical.The whole-milk business could be served by attaching an insulated van to the morning passenger train. For a change in pace, visit our host:
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