Other Names
- Bovril meatworks
Current Operation
- Never completed to start operations.
Location
- 300km S of Darwin, Victoria Hwy Katherine 3km
Owner
- Bovril Australian Estate (English) owned VRD at the time(1947)
History
- An abattoir was begun to be built and due to lack of government backing was stopped and demolished before even finished
Katherine #1 Abattoir – Bovril works, Photo dated 1951. construction was never completed
Is now the site of BOC gas, Bovril Street. Cement posts are still evident but roof is now a flat roof.
1947
- Bovril moved equipment and some infrastructure from Manbulloo site1
- Bovril leased 2,260 acres, land close to racecourse area and began erecting ‘Bovril meat extraction plant’2
- Meatworks never used. Rumour was Vestey’s were going to take over or Bovril Estates3
1949
- Project abandoned – Cost £300,0004
1951
- Extraction plant construction stopped and started several times finally abandoned 3rd January 19512
- “To this day, the enormous concrete shell still stands, only now it houses a multitude of trades, including a panel beating shop, a mechanic and a furniture factory. Also standing a short distance up the road, are the staff quarters and engineer’s house which were erected by Bovril and which are now part of a caravan park”2
1952
- Victorian company Preston Meatworks & William Say & co. Considered purchase of Bovril equipment to build a plant between Elliott & Darwin, small scale to start them to eventually process 30,000 hd a year4. This never happened!
Source
- ‘Pastoral Australia: Fortunes, Failures & Hard Yakka: A historical view.” M. Pearson, J Lennon. 2010
- ‘Katherine abattoir finally put down’ ABC rural 15.09.11
- ‘Meat Monopolies’ Northern Standard 07.03.47
- ‘Meatworks project for N. Territory’ The Canberra times. 21.11.52