Our Heritage Sites

Mangatawhiri Valley Creamery

A creamery was established on the Keith property in Mangatawhiri in 1895.

It was later moved to Lyons Rd, beside the Mangatawhiri stream, under the ownership of 14 local famers. The creamery was operated by the “New Zealand Dairy Assn.”

A manager’s house was built nearby and is still occupied today.

Local farmers brought their whole milk to the creamery in cans and waited while the cream was separated before returning home with the whey for their pigs.

While most had horse and carts to carry the milk cans at least one used a horse drawn sled.

The creamery was powered by a four HP engine and had the capacity to process 400 gallons (1800 litres) per hour. As the local farmers supplied about 600 gallons daily they would have had to wait some time for their whey before returning home. No doubt they used this time to discuss affairs of state, cream and stock prices etc.

The creamery originally made butter but during WW1 changed to making cheese.

The creamery closed after WW2. Local farmers then separated their own milk and their cream was trucked to Tuakau for processing.

creamery

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