These wonderful postcards by Percy Hume show just how huge the Freezing Works building was and you can read more about its history in Peter Matthews’ article. Peter and I work together authoring local history books and research projects.
I also enjoy scanning fruit can labels and I had a batch from Margaret McGibbon, which were her dad’s samples from SPC when he was working there in the labelling area. When I saw this one for Rabbit in Jelly I could not believe it and had to research further to see if it was authentic. And unbelievably, it was. I found a 1934 newspaper article explaining this initiative: “One of the Goulburn Valley’s newest industrial developments is the launching out of a company into the canning of rabbits for exports. Rabbit en Casserole Pty. Ltd., with Shepparton Fruit Preserving Co. Ltd. and the Goulburn Valley Freezing Works have partnered together to reach new markets.” (Shepparton Advertiser)
As a young fella I used to go out rabbitting often and sold them to local cool stores in the Maryborough area. I wasn’t a fan of eating them and I don’t think I missed out at all with this “delicacy in a can”!
Calamity for Shepparton
By Peter Matthews
It’s not widely known that a huge fire within a mile of the old Shepparton Post Office in Wyndham St set Shepparton back on its heels in 1919. Shepparton Freezing Works was one of the major employers in Shepparton, with an extensive factory for processing meat products. The company had been established in 1914 south-west of the railway line off Wyndham St, initially for freezing processed lambs for export, though at periods during the company’s history, rabbits were also frozen. On Wednesday, March 19, 1919, a fire started in the vicinity of the freezing chamber in the early morning (thought to be the fusing of electrical wires), and spread out to completely consume the killing and freezing facilities. It is reported that just under 80,000 carcases of mutton and lamb were destroyed. Such was the extent of the fire, it burnt for a month, while the recovery and boiling down of meat lasted for 10 days. One can only imagine the noise and smoke and smell lingering over the town.
Fighting the fire was very difficult — the Freezing Works was outside the town water area — and there was a small dam to draw from on the premises. Fire brigade reports show that the manual engines of the Shepparton and Mooroopna brigades were used, and the assistance of the townspeople, including ladies, in working the manual pumps was very favourable.
The final cost of the fire approached 100,000 pounds, the equivalent in today’s dollars of $7.5 million. The Freezing Works was insured, and the payout was received even before the fire was extinguished. A new factory was built in 1920, operating until 1922 when the company had financial difficulties. It reopened in 1928, but that’s a whole new story.
