Other names
- Fremantle Freezing and Meat works7
Current Operation
- Closed, is now a historic site with a preserved chimney of the original meat processing works.6
Source – http://www.mingor.net/
Robbs Jetty meat processing site, historic chimney that has been preserved at the site.
Location
- Fremantle Freezing and meat works7
Source – Hema Maps. Australia Truckies Atlas.
Owner
- Fremantle Freezing and Meat Works7
- Western Australian Meat Preservers7
- Western Australian Meat Exporters7
Operation
- Processed cattle and sheep
- Had access from sea for unloading barges and railhead for inland animals
- Export2
- Operated originally by the WA Meat co-operative
- had a long pier/jetty going to the ocean – named Robs Jetty.
- Cattle transported from North WA, barges would unload onto jetty and animals walk to abattoir.
- Closed due to population pressure, other abattoirs & prices
History
1850’s
- Meat houses constructed in the area to service the convict establishment at Femantle Gaol7
1894
- Duracks (Kimberley’s) through agents Francis Conner and Dennis Doherty shipped cattle to Fremantle5
- Dame Mary Durack- ‘Sons in the saddle’ – cattle originally swam to shore, now offloaded onto a jetty5
- Cattle getting £3 a head in south markets, started their own Live Export to Manila5
- Slaughterhouses established in the area, known as ‘Kimberley Meat Ring’, they had a monopoly on meat supply to metropolitian and Goldfields7.
- Forrest, Emaual and Co
- Conner, Doherty and Durack
1898
- Railway was built from Fremantle to Robb Jetty6
- Same period abattoir was built in Fremantle – consisted of offices, holding yards, freezer and chiller facilities6
1919
- Robb Jetty constructed – prior to construction animals unloaded into the water and swam to shore7
- Robb jetty abattoir constructed, portion being the preserved chimney – Known as Fremantle Freezing and Meat works. Capacity limited to few thousand lambs per year7
- Abattoir also was cold store for potatoes, fruit, manufactured ice and carried out wool scouring7
1940
- Robb Jetty company in financial strife, Commonwealth government stepped in to provide help.7
1942
- Company bought out by government, changed name to Western Australian Meat Preservers’ latter to ‘Western Australian Meat Exporters’7
- Abattoir diversified to include fruit storage, egg pulp, turtle and crayfish processing7
1966
- Ship – Centaur,passenger liner that carried 4000 sheep below decks. turned every fortnight from Singapore, Kuala Lumpar & Perth, return trip would pick up at Broome from Emaual stations and taken to Fremantle, sold at Robbs Jetty saleyards5 Pg 25
1970’s
- Jetty dismantled, possibly in 1960’s6
1988/89
- Abattoir closed by the National Party3
1992
- Numerous attempt to revive competitiveness failed and was shut down7
1994
- Equipment removed from building.7
- Chimney is only part remaining, listed on the State register of Heritage Places.6
1996
- State Government supplied $50,000 for restoration of chimney.7
Sources
- Personal Communication #1 28.01.13
- Parliament Hansard. S. Thomas. 17.08.05
- Parliament Hansard M Trenorden 17.08.05
- ‘Brief History of the WA Lamb Marketing board’ www.wammco.com.au
- ‘The Australian Livestock export trade’ Nigel Austin 2011
- ‘South Fremantle, Western Australia’ Wikipedia, 24.06.13
- ‘Interim Heritage listing for Robb Jetty Chimney’ Richard Lewis, Ministerial Media statement. 23.08.96
Tagged: Abattoirs in Australia, abattoirs operating timelines, Australian Abattoirs, Australian meat processing, Australian slaughterhouses, Historic Australian abattoir, Robb Jetty abattoir, Western Australian closed abattoir, Western Australian meat industry
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