Puketaha Creamery

Sited on this corner was the Puketaha Creamery, a two storied wooden structure.
Milk was taken to the creamery once a day on a two-horse-drawn wagon. Each cart was
was driven under the verandah type part of the building. Chains were lowered to attach to
the 20 gallon milk can handles, that were then hauled up to the top floor where the
separating was done.
The farmer would then drive around to the back of the creamery to collect their ration of
skim milk used to feed their calves and pigs. Farmers often had to wait in a queue to
offload their milk, so it was an opportunity to converse with their neighbours.
When farmers started on-farm separation of their milk the factory closed down, the larger
milk cans became obsolete and the cream in smaller cans was hauled to the farm gate for
a contractor to collect to take to the dairy factory in Frankton.
The creamery site and manager’s house was purchased by the Thomas family in 1924.