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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Wellington Provincial District]
Wellington Meat Export Company, Limited
Wellington Meat Export Company, Limited. Directors: W. Booth (chairman), W. C. Buchanan, M.H.R., C. Elgar, J. W. Marshall, and W. G. Foster; secretary, Dilnot Sladden. Meat Preservers, Freezers, and Exporters, Tallow Oleo, Manure and Oil Manufacturers. Office, Waterloo Quay, Wellington; Works, Ngahauranga. Telephone: Office, No. 175; Works, 390. Bankers, Bank of New Zealand. The history of this company may be said to have commenced with a public meeting convened at Carterton on June 2nd, 1881, by Mr. W. C. Buchanan, as president of the Wairarapa Pastoral Society, at which it was resolved “That a committee be appointed, to act in conjunction with the West Coast and Wellington residents, for the purpose of arranging at the earliest possible date for the shipment of frozen meat and dairy produce to England.” As a result of this, the prospectus of the Wellington Meat Export Company was issued on July 8th of the same year, and the first meeting of directors was held in Wellington on September 6th, the chair being taken by Mr. Buchanan, who continued to occupy that post during the next twelve years, with the exception of two short intervals when he was absent from the Colony. At this time the problem of sending meat to England in a frozen state was only partially solved, and owing to various doubts and difficulties, it was not until December, 1882, that the erection of works was decided upon, the site selected being that now occupied by the company's works upon Waterloo Quay. Early in April, 1883, a shipment of 5794 sheep and 352 quarters of beef was frozen for the company upon the ship “Lady Jocelyn,” and shipped to England by that vessel. The freezing works were completed by August 29th, 1883, when the second annual meeting of the company was held, and freezing operations were commenced shortly after. Owing to various difficulties almost inseparable from the initiation of a new industry, the operations of the company were of a very limited extent until, at the annual meeting in 1886, the directors were able to announce that they had frozen 25,000 sheep during the year, and engagements had been made for the freezing of nearly 50,000 sheep in the coming season. In April, 1887, a contract was let to extend the buildings, and a new Haslam machine was added, bringing the freezing capacity of the works up to 800 sheep per diem. In 1889, the works being unequal to the demands made upon the company for freezing, further extensions were decided upon and carried out in time for the succeeding summer's work, the freezing capacity of the works being increased to 700 sheep and fifty cattle, or equal to 1300 sheep per diem. In October of the same year, the Wellington Meat Preserving Company, which had hitherto slaughtered for the Meat Export Company, was amalgamated with the latter company, thus concentrating the whole of the business under one management. In 1891, the operations of the company having steadily increased, the slaughterhouses and boiling-down works erected by the Wellington Meat Preserving Company at Ngahauranga were found inadequate, while the freezing works at Waterloo Quay, notwithstanding the extensions in 1889, were insufficient to cope with the demands made upon the company for freezing. It was therefore decided to erect at Ngahauranga extensive new slaughterhouses, boiling-down and manure works, as well as new freezing and chilling works. These extensions were completed early in 1892, and they enable the company to slaughter and deal with the offal of 2000 sheep and 70 cattle per diem, while the total capacity of the freezing works at Waterloo Quay and Ngahauranga is upwards of 2000 sheep per diem. When working at full swing about 120 people are employed at the two establishments at Ngahauranga and Waterloo Quay. The manure works utilise the whole of the offal of every description from the animals slaughtered, including the blood, so that nothing whatever is thrown away. By this means not only is considerable saving effected, but the inconvenience and offensiveness of removing large quantities of animal matter is avoided, and nothing of a solid nature is thrown into the harbour. The offices and works in Waterloo Quay comprise buildings of brick and wood of two and three stories in height, erected on land held under lease from the Government. The floorage space afforded is about 20,000 square feet. There are four of Haslem's compound refrigerating steam engines, totalling from five to six hundred horse-power. The works at Ngahauranga cover several acres, the engines used aggregating about 200 horse-power. The company export most of the meat they freeze, a small quantity being sold to local butchers. They are importers of calico to the extent of from £2000 to £3000 per annum. In 1894 the company put through about a quarter-of-a-million sheep, of which 200,000 were shipped. In January and February of 1895, 79,419 sheep and lambs, and 30,000 packages, equal to 800 tons, of butter, were exported. The works are equal to the task of freezing 2500 sheep per day, the cold storage being equal to 45,000 sheep.