By Beaudesert Historical Museum
The Logan and Albert Co-operative Dairy Factory, which opened in 1906, was the most important event in the lives of the local dairy farmers.
Although there had been small cream factories operating in the district – the South Brisbane Creamery Company and the Lowood Creamery Company – this new facility, aligned with the Beaudesert Tramway which opened to Tabooba in 1903, provided a major boost to the industry as well as new sources of income for townspeople.
The original timber structure was replaced by a larger brick building, completed in 1931, which contributed to the early wealth of the town and surrounding areas.
A large number of workers – incomers, townspeople and farmers – was required to enable the factory to function. Many technical positions required the import of families from other areas.
This resulted in new families coming to the town. Positions were also available to many of the townspeople, and last but not least, members of farming families; in many cases this provided a welcome boost to farm incomes, and jobs for the children of the dairy farmers.
As the name states, this was a co-operative business resulting in suppliers owning shares in the business, which also guaranteed them an income if the business was successful. It also meant that many local business men were members of the board, hence the district was heavily involved in ensuring the success of the enterprise.
There are many men still living who spent considerable time working there, or in jobs that directly supported the operation of the factory. As the capacity of the factory increased and technology improved, including the introduction of milking machines, more farm labourers were required. The increase in production and the move to whole milk also required an improvement in the operations of the carriers.
