Johns River

1914 - 1960: Johns River Grows

1930s: Bullocks Replaced by the Buxom Bovine

Recollections from BRIAN FLETCHER:

The horse and buggy era began to decline in the late 1920s, but bullock teams were still used for timber, but the last team disappeared in about 1935 and the pioneering days were over.’

Extract from ‘The Forge’ by Sid Tiedman (1975):

Doug Kidd is known to be the last teamster to snig logs across the highway before it was sealed in 1939.

Gradually the dairy industry evolved.  The first cream separator in the district was owned by Mr. Crossingham, who arranged for the cream to be transported by bullock teams to Coopernook and Camden Haven.  All the farmers would bring their milk to Mr. Crossingham’s creamery for separation.  Later, each farmer had his own separator.   

1932 -Stan Kidd’s team carting telegraph poles, May 22, 1935 Photo from Esther Bradley (Kidd) Collection

Fertilizer on crops was first used locally by Walter Ivers in 1931 with such improvements in production that many farmers soon followed suit.  Milk production soon increased and dairy farming became more dominant in the area.

In 1892 the Manning River Co-operation Co. Ltd. was formed on the Manning River with a capital of 10,000 pounds in 1 pound shares.

In 1939 Peters’ Factory was established at Taree and whole milk was taken there.  By the 1940’s dairy farming was at its’ peak with 93 farms in the valley producing either milk or cream.

1926 Sale of 20 Bullocks at the Blacksmith Shop (Now the Garage):

Changes in dairy farming  methods has seen a significant decline in the number of dairy farms due to the buying of small Milk Board Quotas by larger farms, the introductions of bulk pick-up, and the deregulation in 2000 of the industry since. In By 2010, only 4 dairy farms remain in the Johns River and  Stewarts River area, the Bignell, Thompson, Latham and Bulley dairies.