BUTTER AND CHEESE MAKING
Butter and cheesemaking on a large scale took place at Pericoe Station managed by John Alexander and his family - six sons, seven daughters. John's wife was formerly a Miss Smith, of Pambula. Sons were Ted, who left early in the piece to go to Queensland, Robert ("Bo") who ran the "Hayfield" farm, Sydney, ran the "Bonnie Doon" property, Percy, ran the "One Mile", Eden had "Fairview", and Alf had the "home" dairy. Daughters were; Sarah, Annie, Mamie, Barbara, Ada, Dot and Queenie.
Most of the old-timers from Towamba and Pericoe have passed away but the old butter factory in the house yard at Pericoe has stood up to the elements these may years. The iron brands for branding the words "Pericoe Creamery" on butter kegs were there with the wooden churn and the cream vats. The circular butter pressing table bore testimony to their use and the big separator had a pulley on it for attachment of belts to the wood-fired boiler engine which was anchored to a huge block of wood.
Excerpt from "Hoof Beats & Whip Cracks from the Past" by Wilfred Ingram 1981

'Magnet'
May 16, 1936
PIONEER DAIRYMAN, 60 YEARS SUCCESS
(Mr. William Watson, president of the Bega District Council of the P.P.U. and president of Pambula Branch. Speaking at the Agricultural Bureau Conference at Pambula.)
(Excerpt from above article)
" In the year 1883 I left the Illawarra and came south to the Towamba district, still on the South Coast. I arrived on November 20, and the district was a sheet of white clover from end to end. There were no rabbits of that time, the country had not long been ring barked and appeared to be in a hurry to produce large quantities of rich pasture. I went to work on a dairy farm and it was quite a prosperous proposition. At that period, dairying on the highlands at Towamba was definitely a success; the cows milked remarkable well. On all the dairy farms there was a good class of shorthorn, the progeny of the Illawarra brought by those who migrated south. The quantity of butter made in Towamba, Pericoe and Burragate was very large. What is it today? Rabbits and other causes are blamed for the drop but I think quite a lot of that country could be brought back to its former high productive state by fertilizing and by rabbit extermination. There are, of course, quite a few alluvial farms rich and productive in the Towamba Valley. In the early days they grew maize for pig production but today some of them are very prosperous dairies. Does anyone stop to think of the very exalted position the primary producers, which includes dairy farmers, occupy? They are builders of a nation. Their names are not written on marble or on stone but are forever written in the conquest of the soil."

Pambula Voice' October 20, 1893
TOWAMBA
* There is a luxuriant spring in the grass here which causes dairymen to look cheerfully. A better season could not be wished for. Roads are not in the best of order and in the absence of maintenance men, are not likely to improve. A few days' rain would render most of the roads quite impassible.

Old shed and yards. 'Rockleigh' Burragate Photo K.Clery

'Pambula Voice' February 9, 1894.
PERICOE
Mr. John Alexander of Pericoe milks two hundred and thirty cows on two dairies and has sent to Sydney the last two weeks, thirteen and fourteen hundred weight (cwt) of butter respectively. Mr. Alexander has the capacity for five hundred cows on the two dairies and he hopes by next year to have an increase on the present herd. Several cases of sickness are reported. Dr. Meeke was summoned last week to attend Mrs. Gower who was seriously ill. The infant child of Mr. W. Watson was taken with convulsions the other day and for a time its life was despaired of but it has come round again and is keeping better.

LES MITCHELL WITH 'MARUA DREAMING COUNTESS' 2ND GRAND DAM OF TOWAMBA ROYAL KING. C. 1930's. Possibly Burragate Show. Photo courtesy M. Mitchell

Aug 10, 1894
Burragate
* Another meeting was held last Friday to try to form a Co-op Dairy....

Aug 30, 1895
Burragate
* Owing to scarcity of fodder, etc. during the winter the Butter Factory which has been established here is not opened yet. However, everything is being put in readiness to start when the spring has properly set in, and we hope to hear her first whistle before very long.

Jan 10, 1896
Wyndham
* Dairying in the district is at a standstill owing to the prolonged drought - severest for some 23 years.

'Pambula Voice' January 21, 1898
WYNDHAM
* Mr. J. T. Horne who has been managing a dairy of Mr. Morehead's at Wog Wog for some years is about to take his departure from district.

'Pambula Voice' May 6, 1898
ROCKY HALL
* Rather a novel scheme has been promulgated by one of the suppliers to the local butter factory and that is the proposal to run a store on co-operative principals. The project has already met with the favourable consideration of a number of suppliers.

'Pambula Voice' June 17, 1898
ROCKY HALL
The directors of the Rocky Hall Dairy Company who recently decided to run a co-operative store in connection with the factory have received their first shipment of goods. This new departure on the part of the company promises to be a big success and will undoubtedly prove a great boon to suppliers.

'Pambula Voice' July 1, 1898
BURRAGATE
* The Burragate Co-operative Dairy Co., are endeavouring to get sufficient shares taken up to warrant them building a central creamery in Burragate with a refrigerating plant. This is a step in the right direction as Burragate is so centrally situated.

'Pambula Voice' August 25, 1899
* Burragate Dairy Co. Ltd - Tenders invited for erection of Co.'s cheese factory at Burragate, E. H. Scott, secretary.

'Pambula Voice' September 15, 1899
* Messrs Waterson and Moore successful tenderers for Burragate cheese factory.

'Pambula Voice' November 17, 1899
At Burragate last week, the employees on the "Lyndhurst" Estate met together for the purpose of making a presentation to Mr J. H. Martin JP, who is about to retire from the management of "Lyndhurst" and take up his permanent abode in Pambula. The present, which was accompanied by good wishes for Mr and Mrs Martin's future welfare and happiness, consisted of a handsome watch pendant in the form of a silver match-box inlaid with gold, and inscribed with the initials of the recipient. Mr Martin has been in charge of "Lyndhurst" for 10 years and was much esteemed by the employees of the estate, who learned of his departure with sincere regret.

Lyndhurst Butter Factory No date

'Pambula Voice' January 12, 1900
* Inquiry into the cause of the fire at "Lyndhurst" factory, Burragate, was to take place yesterday.
* Dry spell affecting dairying industry - Wyndham.

Part of the old Burragate Butter Factory 'Lyndhurst', Burragate. Photo K.Clery		Machinery. Burragate Butter Factory Photo K.Clery

Mar 23, 1900
* Mr. Robinson, Inspector under the Dairies Supervision Act, is at present engaged in visiting all the dairies in the Pambula District.

'Pambula Voice' October 17, 1902
* The well-known 'Lyndhurst' estate, Burragate, is to be offered for sale at Wyndham on the 25th inst. by Messrs D. Grant and Co.

'Lyndhurst' Burragate. Photo K.Clery

'Pambula Voice' October 31, 1902
* No offer was made at the sale at Wyndham on Sat. for the purchase of the Lyndhurst estate, Burragate.

'Pambula Voice' July 3, 1903
* Mr Michael Behl has disposed of his farm at Nethercote to Mr R. A. Gordon of Mt Pleasant, Pericoe.

'Pambula Voice' July 17, 1903
* The well-known "Lyndhurst" Estate, Burragate, was offered for sale by auction at Wyndham on Saturday by Messrs D. Grant and Co., but no purchaser was found.

'Pambula Voice' August 14, 1903
* Tenders invited for the lease of the "Lyndhurst" Estate, Burragate. JAS Bank, Pambula.

DAIRY YARD SETUP BEFORE THE INTRODUCTION OF MILKING MACHINES

Before milking machines were used in dairies in the Towamba district the cows were milked by hand in the bails. The bails were in a separate building which had sectioned off areas with wooden rails separating each cow. The cows stood in these sections taking fodder in at one end while milk was extracted at the other. The buckets of milk were then carried over to the dairy shed where the milk was put through the hand operated separator and the cream put into cream cans ready to be picked up and taken to the butter factory. The separated milk was then fed to the calfs and pigs. The dairy shed had to be, by law, 30 feet from the bails for health reasons and the piggery about 50 feet. This system operated until milking machines were introduced when it was permitted to have the bails and the separating room under one roof. This led to the building of the dairies we now see on old dairy farms in the valley. Machine milking arrived in the Towamba valley around the late 1920's and with this system separation was now done by machine and the separated milk still fed to the pigs. However, the Dairy industry was changing. The small butter factories that were dotted throughout the hinterland closed while those on the coast remained. Demand and volume ruled. Between 1965 and 1970, because of a wide shortage of milk, whole milk was sent from the area in milk cans and in the early 1970's milk tankers were introduced. The valley dairy farmers were informed that the tankers would not come into an area of low milk production and all dairy farms in the valley were outside the pick-up loop. However, they had the option to cart their own milk to Bega which some farmers did but because of the distance involved this soon became unviable. Later, only milk delivered to the factories in tankers was accepted and so by necessity, the lush pastures in the Towamba Valley were turned over to grazing cattle and in some cases, sheep. Hence, the system of milking and raising pigs for bacon which supported many families on small farms in the Towamba Valley passed into history.

Old dairy used in hand milking days. 'Oakleigh', Towamba. Photo K.Clery		Remains of the milking bales in the days of hand milking. 'Oakleigh', Towamba Photo K.Clery

'The Sydney Morning Herald'
March 14, 1904
PAMBULA.
* The Pambula A. H. and P. Society, after paying prize-money and all expenses in connection with the late show, will have a credit balance of about £40 towards the liquidation of the overdraft (now between £70 and £80). The directors of the Burragate Co-oporative Dairy Company have decided to remove the central factory from Burragate to Towamba, with creameries at Burragate and Pericoe, on the strength of the support which has been promised by dairymen in the Towamba-Pericoe district.

'Pambula Voice' September 9, 1904
* There is a marked increase in the cream supply at the local (Pambula) factory, but it is partly due to the arrival of a quantity from Burragate which is being sent here pending the completion of the new central factory at Towamba.

'Pambula Voice' September 23, 1904
* New (butter) factory at Towamba completed.

October 7, 1904
'The Sydney Morning Herald'
* The new co-oporative dairy factory at Towamba was formally opened on Saturday last.

April 13, 1906
'The Sydney Morning Herald'
DAIRYING.
* During March the Pambula Co-operative Dairy Company manufactured 24,8171b of butter, which realised £1022 gross. The working expenses averaged 1.17d per lb, and sinking fund .08d per lb. Suppliers were paid at the rate of 88d per lb net.
For the same period the Towamba Central Creamery Company manufactured 12,6491b of butter, which realised the sum of £528 Is Id, suppliers being paid 81/4 pence per lb net. The prospects for a good winter are very encouraging.

November 26, 1910
'The Sydney Morning Herald'
BUTTER FACTORIES.
* For the month of October the Towamba Dairy Company manufactured 64551b of butter, which realised £290. The expenses and sinking funds totalled £48. Suppliers were is paid £242 net.

'Pambula Voice' September 23, 1927
Pambula Dairy Co-operative half yearly meeting. Between sixty and seventy shareholders were present. The Chairman stated that output compares unfavourably with the previous half year but when one reviews the season passed and still passing through, it would not be out of place to say we have done remarkably well. Suppliers were from Rocky Hall, Towamba and Cathcart. The quantity of butter exported for the period under review was 1,090 boxes which is a very small proportion and goes to show that the quality of butter is up to standard and suitable for both NSW, Australia and the London market. The Board of Directors decided that the cost of transport was too high and consequently purchased one Thornycroft and one A.E.C. motor lorry. They have also purchased the goodwill of the Merimbula Supply Co., together with their latest lorry, at a very satisfactory figure. The question of a new factory and finance has not been lost sight of and with that object in view an extraordinary general meeting will be held to authorise the Directors to make a levy which is the usual custom nowadays in financing such Butter Factory problems and as a large quantity of machinery has been installed the question of bank overdraft will also need attention. Mr. George Hart said he would like to see the cost of carrying the cream from each centre. He considered that they would drop the long distance supplier, such as Cathcart, Rocky Hall, Towamba and even some at Nethercote.

'Magnet' September 20, 1930
DAIRYING
HAND VERSUS MACHINE MILKING - INTERESTING DEBATE
Few subjects of moment to farmers escape the attention of the New South Wales Agricultural Bureau Conference which takes place annually at Hawksbury Agricultural College and among the many matters discussed at this year's gathering was the question of hand versus machine milking. Both methods had their advocates, the pros and cons being presented in the form of an organised debate. A team representing the Singleton Sub-district Council of the Bureau affirming that machine milking was superior to hand milking and one representative of the Illawarra Sub-district Council taking the opposite view.
Mr. A. S. Pankhurst (leader of the Singleton team) likened the opposition to milking machines to that which opposed any other improved method. He advanced three main points in favour of machines:
1. They solved the labour problem on the dairy farm in that nine men could be found to take a job on a farm where machines were installed to every one offering of work where hand milking was the system - the machines did away with the drudgery.
2. The machines were more sanitary; dust, etc., could not be prevented from getting into the buckets when hand milking.
3. The cows were more tolerant to machines than to hand milkers. This, he believed, was due to the fact that the machines more nearly imitated the sucking action of the calf.
Mr. R. H. Hudson (leader of the Illawarra team) said that his chief aversion to milking machines was because the heavy initial cost ( about £200) running expenses, and upkeep. Moreover, machines were difficult to sterilize and if this were not done thoroughly they would spread contaminants, contagious mammitis and perhaps other diseases. It was extremely hard to get paid labour to work machines efficiently and although, perhaps in theory, "machine" milk was purer than "hand" milk, in practice the opposite was the case. Moreover, in the "off " season when the machines had to be hung up because it would not pay to run them, depreciation went on just the same.
Mr. F. J. Pankhurst (Singleton) admitted that upkeep etc., on a machine would run to £1 per week but as an offset to that, one man with a machine could do the work of three hand milkers. As far as cleanliness was concerned, bacteriological tests had proved conclusively that machine milk was much purer.
Mr. O. Guthrie (Illawarra) claimed that most second grade cream in his district came from machine milk. He had installed machines but found that unless he attended to them personally, there was always some trouble. He could not entrust the ordinary farm hand with the care of the machines and consequently, had to get rid of them.
Mr. W. W. Waddell (Singleton) contended that as the machines were much quicker the cows spent more time in the pastures and less in the yards. In New Zealand where ninety percent of the herds were milked by machine the quality of butter was superior to that made in New South Wales.
Mr.Lindsay Evans (Illawarra) said that the best pure bred herds in the State were seldom milked by machines and that the unreliability of the machines was against their use.
The Chief Dairy Instructor of the Department who acted as adjudicator declared in favour of the Singleton team.

PERICOE
'Magnet' August 8, 1931
* Mr. F. McPaul renovating his dairy. Dairying once more popular here.

Later style dairy at 'Model Farm' Towamba Photo K.Clery

'Magnet' October 3, 1931
* Alex Law dairying at Nungatta.

KIAH
* Good rain has fallen locally in consequence whereof crops are doing well and dairies are flourishing. Messers R. J. Goward and H. S. Harris are getting their herds tested and some very good results have so far been recorded. Test of one cow in particular has only been equalled by that of a cow near Pambula.
* Extension of the cream producing industry is proceeding. Two more dairies are to be in readiness to begin by New Year's Day. This will make eight at Kiah River and that number will be materially added to with the extension of our riverside development road.

'Magnet' January 23, 1932
* Dairy men have had to make big outlays this previous year. Paid high prices for their herds, erecting new dairies, buying new separators, cans, buckets, etc., Now driest season for years and a low price for their butter.

'Magnet' February 13, 1932
* Mr. H. Rolfe taken over the working of Mr. A. B. Alexander's 'Hayfield' in succession to Mr. L. Nicholson. The dairy is now in full swing.
* Mr. McPaul recently recommenced dairying at Pericoe.

Cream shed. 'Limerick Vale' Towamba. Photo K.Clery

'Magnet' April 2, 1932
* Mr. Walker and family who have been working Mr. F. McPaul's dairy, are about to leave, and their place is to be taken by Mr. Edwin Love of Lower Towamba.
* Mr. George Arnold, who has for many years worked Mr. A. E. Alexander's dairy, will shortly retire from this work and a Mr. A. Tasker of Pericoe has been selected to fill the vacancy.

'Magnet' September 1, 1934
We understand that despite a clause in the Dairy Act which says that no structural alterations shall be ordered where a dairy is producing choicest cream, police in some centres at least have been instructed that no dairy within thirty feet of the cream room is to be registered in future. Bimbaya P.P.U. (Primary Producers Union) Branch has entered a strong protest and dairy men generally contend that commonsense, not cast iron rule, should prevail in the administration of the Act.

'Magnet' November 17, 1934
* The district is experiencing a delightful spring. Dairy farmers are quite jubilant about everything except the price of butter.

'Magnet' January 19, 1935
* dairying down to once a day milking.

Old Roberts farm house 'Parkside' Towamba Photo K. Clery

Old cream separator 'Parkside', Towamba Photo K.Clery

Later style dairy. 'Parkside', Towamba Photo K.Clery		Milking bales in later style dairy. Photo K.Clery

POINTS AWARD
Mr. W. A. Green, Towamba: Suitability of fodder for dairy stock- 29 points.
Appearance of fodders- 31.
Access and economy for feeding - 18.
Protection: weather, stock, pests, fire, etc., - 17.
Economy in production and storage costs - 22
Carrying capacity - 60 .
Surplus for market - 8.
Total points - 185.
Fodders conserved: Silage 51 tons.
Lucerne 16 tons.
Maize grain 5 tons.
Carrying capacity 16 head.

W.R. Roberts, Towamba: Suitability - 29.
Appearance - 32.
Access - 15.
Protection - 15
Economy in production - 22.
Carrying capacity - 60.
Surplus for market - 8.
Total points - 181.
Fodders conserved: Silage 92 tons.
Lucerne hay 42 tons.
Maize grain 17 tons.
Carrying capacity of property 42 head.

A.C.Clements, Towamba: Suitability - 26.
Appearance - 32.
Access - 16.
Protection - 17.
Economy in production - 23.
Carrying capacity - 60.
Surplus for market - 1.
Total points 175.
Fodders conserved: Silage 40 tons.
Red clover 35 tons.
Maize grain 3 ½ tons.
Carrying capacity of property 47 head.

J. N. Harris, Kiah: Suitability - 25.
Appearance - 29.
Access - 16.
Protection - 16.
Economy in production - 22.
Carrying capacity - 60.
Surplus for market - 4.
Total points 172.
Fodders conserved: Silage 32 tons.
Lucerne hay 7 tons.
Maize grain 9 tons.
Mangolds 20 tons.
Carrying capacity of property 25 head.

R. J. Goward, Kiah: Suitability - 18.
Appearance - 28.
Access - 16.
Protection - 17.
Economy in production - 22.
Carrying capacity - 60.
Surplus for market - 1.
Total points 162.
Fodders conserved: Silage 15 tons.
Lucerne hay 1 ½ tons.
Pasture Hay 1 ½ tons.
Maize grain 13 tons.
Carrying capacity of property 27 head.

D. Laing, Towamba: Suitability - 19.
Appearance - 33.
Access - 17.
Protection - 17.
Economy in production - 22.
Carrying capacity - 47.
Total points 155.
Fodders conserved: Lucerne hay 3 ½ ton.
Oaten hay 3 tons.
Maize grain 2 ½ tons.
Carrying capacity of property 14 head.

J. C. Roberts, Towamba: Suitability - 22.
Appearance - 31.
Access - 16.
Protection - 17.
Economy in production - 22.
Carrying capacity - 35.
Total points 143.
Fodders conserved: Silage 17 tons.
Lucerne hay 6 tons.
Maize grain 4 tons.
Carrying capacity of property 34 head.

'Magnet' September 21, 1935
At a public meeting held a few days ago local dairy farmers decided to agitate for the extension of the Pambula-Towamba cream lorry service to Pericoe. At present the cream is conveyed thrice weekly from Pericoe to the Towamba depot - an arrangement which shareholders regard as very unsatisfactory.

'Magnet' September 28, 1935
TENDERS
Pambula Co op Creamery and Dairy Co. LTD.
Tenders are hereby invited individually or collectively for the company's haulage for the period of three years as follows:
1. Cream and butter cartage on the Mount Darragh, Cathcart, Rocky Hall, Wyndham run, picking up all cream enroute from existing depots and delivering to factory and delivery of butter to rail Bombala and stores enroute.
2. Eden, Kiah, Towamba, Burragate to Honeysuckle turn-off on Wyndham road, picking up all cream enroute and delivering to factory and delivery of butter to stores on the run.
Alternate tender for the picking up of Pericoe cream at McPaul's gate, a distance of four miles past Towamba is also asked for.
By order of the Board, the Pambula Co op Creamery and Dairy Co. LTD.
Foss Robinson, secretary.

'Magnet' October 19, 1935
TOWAMBA
Suppliers to Pambula Butter Factory received nice little additions to their factory cheques in the form of a bonus 1 penny per pound for butter manufactured for the last six months.

'Magnet' November 30, 1935
TOWAMBA
* Cream supplies are increasing rapidly, necessitating delivery to Pambula factory every alternate day.

The 'Magnet Voice' March 24, 1960
BOX RANGE CHEESE FACTORY
"One of the few private cheese factories, and perhaps the smallest in NSW, is the Box Range Cheese Factory, situated a few miles from Pambula on the road to Bombala. It is a two-man venture conducted by brothers W.A (Wal) and J.A. (Jack) Smith. Milk for the cheese making, comes from the herd of A.I.S. on the property at Six Mile. Cheese has been made at Box Range since 1913 (previously butter was manufactured) then in 1930 new premises for cheese making operation were erected.
Box Range cheese is in wide demand throughout the Far South Coast and Tablelands, and even Sale in Victoria. It is a full cream cheese of mild flavour and maturity. Prizes have been won at the Royal Easter Show with 6 X 1sts, between 1952 and 1957 and over 50 awards at local shows since 1958.
Cheese maker is Jack who has won continuous grading competitions conducted in association with the Dairy Factory Managers & Secretaries Institute. Work on the property is divided between the two brothers. Jack attending to the cheese manufacture and Wal the farm operations.
The Box Range property consists of 700 acres, of which 600 is netted and free from rabbits and has been in the hands of the Smith Family for over 70 years, The soil is rich basalt, but unlike most of the Pambula district suffers from irregular rainfall. Average size of the milking herd is 70, they are AIS (with occasional Jersey) mostly by Dudgeon or Lemon Grove Bulls and the butter fat average is usually in excess of 4%. Since the milk for cheese making is not standardized (that is reduced to the same butterfat content for all batches), it can vary in the fat content: nevertheless this is generally above that to be found in cheese from larger factories.
Jack has been making cheese for 37 years and spends most of his day in the factory with the average quantity of cheese made in a day being 145 lbs. This is put up in loafs of 13 to 15 lbs. plus a few 2 lbs. “Picnics”. Total annual production is about 35,000 lbs. Cheeses are stored for maturing in a separate building, which is insulated by charcoal. Demand for the cheese is so great that perhaps a reasonable criticism is that it is not sufficiently matured for some tastes.
Transport to district stores nowadays presents no problems as it is taken north, south and west by carriers, quite different from earlier days when most of the cheese was shipped to Sydney.
Living in semi-retirement on the farm is their uncle Mr. George Smith though getting well on in years, still takes an active interest in the welfare of the property."

Above is an article about the Box Range Cheese Factory which was reprinted from the Country Life Newspaper 12/2/60.
In the early 1970’s Box Range Farm was a collection of properties, owned by C.G. Parramore, they were Leamount (Ruggs), Six Mile Creek (Six Mile), Box Range Farm (Range Farm), and Schriek’s Gully & Moores. By the end of the 1970’s, two more properties were purchased they were Cusacks and Hazelgrove, although Cusacks was sold to J. Lynch in 1980’s.
The first owners recorded on early maps were Jno CONNELLY, Jas. HICKEY, Edward CLARKE, Michael SCHRIEK, W. BOW, Clement J. W. STILES, Jas GAHAN, Jas CLARKE, W. T. BURTON, R. HAZELGROVE, Anastasia May KEON, S. SOLOMON Ltd. Eden, Michael SMITH, Andrew SMITH, Terence SMITH, William J. SMITH, Mary W. COLE, Mary J. CUSACK, Michael CUSACK, J. CUSACK, J.J. SILVERS.
As time went by, other family members took over the ownership of the land and many other people worked there as well, some of their names were J. KEON, Tyson DONNELLY, Fred SMITH, John A SMITH, Walter A. SMITH, George A. SMITH, Frank, THOMAS and Amelia CUSACK, John LONGHURST, Henry and Peter HYDE, Francis SMITH, Lucy SMITH, Albert E. RUGG.
Article courtesy of Elizabeth McIntyre present part owner of 'Box Range'.

Box Range Cheese Factory (2nd) Built in 1930

'Magnet' February 24, 2005
Rocky Hall
(Summerised)
The old Rocky Hall Butter Factory, on Mr. Fred Whitby's property at Rocky Hall, used for many years as a hay shed, succumbed to wild weather and was reduced to a collapsed pile of timber beneath a roof, in the last high winds to hit the Towamba river flats on which the building stood.
The butter factory stood as a landmark to people travelling through Rocky Hall for years: even visitors passing though on their way to and from the Monaro via the South East National Park would comment on the building and stop to take photographs.
It was constructed by the Rocky Hall Dairy Company in 1896 and operated for 30 years.
Cream from the dairy farms of Rocky Hall then went to the Pambula factory until that, too, closed.
Mr. Whitby said it was one of the oldest dairy co-operatives in NSW; older than the Bega Dairy Co-operative.
Mr. Whitby still has ledgers from the factory in his care, along with many old photographs that date from a time when Rocky Hall was a thriving village. The ledgers date from 1896 and record deliveries and payments to the dairy farmers who supplied cream to the factory.
Names that are synonymous with Rocky Hall, Wyndham, Burragate and their outlying regions include Whitby, Grant, Kerr, Robertson, Rixon, Sherwin, Ryan, Underhill, Collins, Knightly, Travers and the Elphick brothers.
Regular Cathcart suppliers included Crotty, Stewart, Mawson, O'Reilly, Griffiths and Baker.
However, in 1918 the factory that most Cathcart suppliers sent their butter to must have closed temporarily, because there was a sudden influx of suppliers from the Monaro. They included Gerathy, Vernon, Murphy, McMahon, Madden, Stove, Solomon, Kimber, Ingram, Gaunson, Overend and many more names that are well known throughout the region.
During the month of November, when the numbers of suppliers was swelled by the Cathcart influx, two amounts of butter produced are recorded; 15,903 and 32,425 lbs of butter.
While the factory was not among the region's biggest, it was among the best.
Mr. Whitby ways butter produced at Rocky Hall was sent to London and took prizes there. A letter slipped into the pages of one 1918 ledger from Foley Bros, Australian Merchants based in Sydney, states: "We have the pleasure to hand you herewith account sales for 80 boxes of butter which we had stored on your account and have forwarded cheque for the profit -£43/14/- to your bank as usual and we trust this will meet with your approval. You see that for the butter we sold in Melbourne we secure 150/- and 160/- per cent and we feel convinced that no other factory in your district has done better than you have with their government butter. Trusting to have larger consignments from you and thanking you in anticipation, etc.,"
However, times were changing. A big drought in 1923 and the Whitby family, backbone of the Rocky Hall dairy industry, stopped supplying the factory.
"The factory was under severe stress from then on," Mr. Whitby said. "By 1924 the motor lorry transport had progressed and farmers could send their cream to Pambula."
A paragraph from the Bombala Times in 1924 states that the Rocky Hall Dairy Company building, plant and machinery were for sale. The building continued to provide cover for large quantities of hay, invaluable to the farmers in times of drought. It stood as a link to the times when Rocky Hall boasted a general store, pub, post office and church as well as the school, hall and butter factory.
Now that link with the past is gone, and only the school (now a pre-school and community centre) and hall remain to indicate the village that Rocky Hall once was.
The Rocky Hall community is indebted to Mr. Whitby, whose knowledge of the area is extensive, for keeping the history of a bygone time alive.

Rocky Hall butter factory on delivery day. No date