Current Operation

• Closed 1989¹

Location             

• Urapunga station – Roper River. Roper Gulf NT

Owner                 

• Ray Fryer¹

Operation          

• killed 10-20 a day, meat chilled and boned  then boxed and sent south¹
• Expensive to build $80,000 – $100,000, had to be good quality and meet standards of NT Health and Safety standards¹
• Employees – Slaughterman, boner and two helpers¹
• Operated May to October¹
• Offal, gut and hide was buried, blood and water pumped onto paddocks¹
• Licensed to sell anyway south, NSW, SA and Victoria¹

History                

• Built a small abattoir on the property, as a diversification for income by way of selling direct to the interstate market.¹
• Ray went to Urapunga 1968, left 1989. Early days road transport was non existant, Roper Highway was only built up in 80’s, initially only gravel. Access depended on the Roper bar crossing being accessable. Prior to the abattoir, cattle had to be walked to Elliott – several weeks drove, where they were dipped and sent to other sale points.
• Sometimes buffalo sent to Darwin live for slaughter at Angliss abattoir²
• Early 80’s – Was receiving $50 per head for bulls delivered Katherine abattoir, cost $15 freight. Often couldn’t get cattle booked into abattoir. Katherine operation very erratic, would start and stop²
• Mainly processed bulls, Called a Slash/cut beef, meat was boned out and boxed, snap frozen for 24 hours on property and then placed in refrigerated trailers for transport to Darwin where agent on sold meat to NT, NSW and SA²
• Large aboriginal community lived close by, Ray would kill buffalo and cattle for them and give them meat from the abattoirs²

 1983

• Built own small abattoir at Uranpunga²

1989 

• Closed when sold Property²

Source – ‘Red dust rising’ – The story of Ray Fryer of Uranpunga – Marion Houldsworth

Slaughtermen skinning a carcase in the abattoir at Urapunga

Sources

1. ‘Red Dust Rising- The story of Ray Fryer of Urapunga’ Marion Houldsworth 2004.
2. Personal Communication #1 07.03.13.

Tagged: blood, Boners, Closed Australian abattoirs, gut, NT health and safety standards, Offal, Slaughtermen, small abattoir, Urapunga abattoir