GNOWANGERUP BUTTER PRODUCTION

Butter was made in the home by beating the cream by hand until it turned into butter, although some people had a wooden butter churn. Then the grooved wooden ‘butter pats’ were used to form the shape. Butter making was always done when it was cool – often early in the day - as in those days there was no fridge.

The Coolgardie safe was the method used to keep items cool. It was quite efficient, with water held in the top and flannel material dripping water down the hessian sides.

Dorrie Ball’s daughter Una tells how the family worked together to sell up to 20 pounds of butter a week to local shops.

“Milking cows twice daily was an ongoing chore. Coming in late at night meant taking the storm lantern and a bucket finding the cows and milking them. Sometimes that would be nine cows to milk and a calf or two to feed, plus any number of baby lambs demanding a drink whatever the hour. No wonder Nat and Dorothy enjoyed a limited social life while their family was young”.

In September 1918 a Butter Factory opened in Gnowangerup in response to farmers needing another income stream.

After World War I different economic situation had emerged, wheat and wool prices improved and the factory closed in 1925 leaving investors out of pocket (Fruit of the Country).

Boans and other stores bought all of the butter that could be supplied, so cream could still be sent away to make butter. Cream would bent in large metal cans/

“Dori helped her girls make butter from the week's supply of cream to this day I ponder how she kept the cream fresh for seven days. The Coolgardie safe was small, she was diligent to keep the sides wet and cool it hung from a nearby tree and Dori constantly changed it’s position to get the best breeze. Later a larger safe was installed in the lien to by the house, it had the same routine having to be kept wet and cool.”.

Nat, Dorothy and the children all took turns in winding the arm of the separator. The resulting cream was stored in a Coolardie safe.

“It was used on sweets in cakes and made into butter at the end of the week”.

“Several churns of cream had to be turned into butter (The cream being transferred to a butter churn -Ed) it was a heavy task and the children took turns winding the handle around and round. The butter was then washed and patted into shape before play placed on pre-printed butter paper then had to be stored in a cool place until it was time to pack it in the car for sale to the local Gnowangerup Co-op the family would make from 20 to 30 pounds of butter each week during the winter and pack several dozen eggs in a chaff lined box.

The sale of these products helped balance the payment for the other groceries needed that week”

At Pingrup cream was sent in 3 gallon cans to Narrogin. The three gallon can would be “covered with wet bags in the bough shed and stirring several times a day it would yield about seven pounds of butter fat, and the reward at ten and a half pence a pound for one month’s hard work would be a cheque for about eighteen shillings.

Claire Newbey tells of taking cream cans to the main road to Gnowangerup and the mailman would pick them up.

Following her marriage in 1951 Joy Stewart nee White sent cream to the Watsonia Factory in Mt Barker.

Homemade butter could be bought at the local store for one shilling and three pence a pound but was deemed fit for cooking only; North Coast ‘eating’ butter cost two shillings and four pence per pound.” (Referring to 1928, Joyce Shiner)

Every endeavour has been made to accurately record the details however if you would like to provide additional images and/or newer information we are pleased to update the details on this site. Please use CONTACT at the top of this page to email us. We appreciate your involvement in recording the history of our area.

References:                 Article:      

                                  Image:     

Copyright : Gordon Freegard 2024