1909: The Murchison Airship Factory

August 4, 2025

By AHNZ

The inland South Island town of Murchison faced a crisis in 1909 of their own making. The good citizens of the Waimea Plains had been talking for a few years about a dairy factory of their own. In particular, the manager of Hodgson’s Store, Horace Boyes, made a particularly well-prepared speech and it was decided to go ahead.

Murchison, Braeburn, Belgrove, etc. had acquired high self esteem for themselves. They fought for, and accomplished, their separation from Nelson Province to govern themselves as Murchison County. They believed, as generations of deceived Upper South Islanders have, that the railway to Nelson would one day come and complete the link up to the coast (never did.) To go with this Manifest Destiny they resolved to also have their own dairy factory powerhouse right there in Murchison.

Besides, their newly refurbished court house had now stopped smelling like Joseph Sewell and dynamite and had reopened. “The first Court held at Murchison since the unhappy and sensational Sewell case, was held…” Ref. Colonist (18/5/1908,) Papers Past & 1905: Murchison Madmen, AHNZ

To this end the capacity was built, cows acquired. A West Coast dairy factory businessman had laid down a commitment build Murchison a cheese factory and run it on their cream. Knowing that the roads out were so unreliable it was understood that butter was out of the question- it would never survive the trip. Now came the crisis. The businessman from The Coast vanished, leaving the County desperately over-productive but no way to get their goods to market.

“It is expected that Braeburn alone will supply close on two hundred cows. The matter of having a dairy factory here has been under consideration for several years…When a dairy factory is in operation here and the railway completed to Hope Junction, the rapid development of this district will be assured.” – Colonist (February, 1909,) Papers Past

“The deciding factor in this matter was undoubtedly the pressure of the Braeburn settlers. Many of those who shortly before this had taken up land in the area that the Government had bought from Messrs Wilkie and Page for sub-division had relied on the establishment of a dairy factory in Murchison for the success of their farming, and they were greatly disconcerted when it appeared that aa dairy factory fact might not eventuate.” – Locke (1959)

“..its first shipment of export butter was rated first grade in Wellington despite having to send the butter from Murchison to Kohatu, having gone by road, rail and sea before reaching the grading stores. Within six months of opening, the factory was producing butter of such good quality that was realising 125s per cwt in London.” – Parkes (2025)

“By 1909, the population of Murchison was 300.25 The first dairy factory was opened in 1909, producing the ‘Airship’ brand of butter, which was transported by wagon to the railhead at Kohatu at night to keep it in good condition. The factory closed in 1973.” – Joy Stephens, The Prow (2017)

Thus, on October 11, 1909, the farmers themselves started their very own Cooperative Dairy Factory. Why have someone else do for the local economy what you can do for yourselves? They had created their own collaborative enterprise. Dairy Anarchy.

Interestingly, the farmers-turned-businessmen had ditched the cheese and had decided to create butter. This, even though they would need to horse-and-cart to the railhead at Kohatau which was considered impractical if not impossible earlier on in the plan. Thence, across Cook Strait to Wellington so the government could get their hands on it and permit export to market in London.

The State was also responsible for selection of the brand name, Airship. Murchison wanted Dreadnought. Otherwise, “Southern Cross, Nimrod, Imperial, Southern Star, Champion, Buttercup, Airship, or Challenge. The Dairy Commission told them which one had been approved. Thus, Murchison had its Airship Factory.

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