Urapunga

Jo Bloomfield

13 years ago

Current Operation

Location

Owner

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

1989

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

Slaughtermen skinning a carcase in the abattoir at Urapunga

Sources