The dairymen of Bathurst were in good company as they supplied to co-operative | Yesterday, Today

The Bathurst Co-operative Dairy Company was about to open its new factory at the corner of Bentinck and Howick streets in Bathurst in October 1902.

The manager of the Bathurst Co-operative Dairy Company was buying milk from Bathurst dairymen.

The company was buying 6965lb of cream, mainly to make butter, which resulted in 3447lb of butter. The company also purchased 836 gallons of milk. The suppliers were paid £229, 16 shillings and 3 pence.

The dairymen were paid 6d per lb. for cream and 4d per gallon for milk.

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The list of suppliers to the factory at the time is interesting since it identifies the districts from which the suppliers were drawn.

The milk suppliers were T. Power, Evans Plains; Patrick O'Neill, Evans Plains; James Donaldson, Evans Plains; P. Hourigan, Black Swamp; Mahaffy Brothers, Evans Plains; P. Furness, Perth; P. Sullivan, Esrom; P. Hastings, Esrom; J. Cheney, Georges Plains; James Maher, Evans Plains; G. Millard, Dunkeld; H. Jones, Evans Plains; C. Armstrong, Kelso; T. Dwyer, Evans Plains; A.D. Hunt, Evans Plains; W. Hurford, Evans Plains; H. M'Kay, Evans Plains; P. Windsor, Evans Plains; Miss A. Boardman, Evans Plains; and R. Carroll, Evans Plains.

The suppliers ran from 20 to 100 cows to a farm.

Mr Pickworth, the chairman of directors of the Bathurst Co-operative Dairy Company, was a most enthusiastic worker, and he was ably assisted by Dr Machattie and others who were not sparing their time or labour in urging forward the cause of co-operation.

The company, after five months in operation, had about £600 in hand. Only £100 remained to be paid on the factory plant and business, and the calls on shares amounted to £150 per month.

The factory was described as equal to the growing needs of the industry and the directors had secured an excellent site in Bathurst.

They intended to erect an up-to-date building and add to the plant so as to reduce the cost of manufacture to the lowest possible point.

It was reported that there was every prospect that the company would be in a position to carry this work out without borrowing money - a very desirable consummation.

The wisdom of purchasing the plant at Evans Plains was apparent. It enabled the management to get into business at once, and to work up a connection, sell shares, and increase the number of supplies while the capital was being accumulated.

Too many factories had been erected in a hurry, and serious losses had resulted through wrong estimates of the supplying capacity of the districts and the plants required.

It was considered that the Bathurst company should easily avoid these pitfalls when proceeding to establish the new factory.

The Bathurst Co-operative Dairying Co Ltd had been formed in late 1901.

The Bathurst Daily Times of August 29, 1901 reported an enthusiastic and well-attended meeting had been held at the Town Hall and it had been agreed to establish a co-operative.

Temporary offices were to be obtained in the AH and P Association rooms.

Shareholders had already pledged support and the future looked promising.

The editor of the paper reminded his readers that the success of the co-operative required not only the financial support of local businessmen but also the practical interest of the farmers.

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