Other Names
- Deepwater meatworks (Pg 143)1
- Mt Bundey Deepwater (Pg 189)
Current Operation
Location
Hema Maps – Australia Truckies atlas.
Owner
- Mt Bundey & Darwin meat supply 75% – Alben Perrett ( Father -in -law of Bill Ross)1
- Jim McGhie,1
- Jim Richards ( brother in law of Bill Ross)1
- Bill Ross1
Operation
History
1960
- Decision made to build an abattoir at Mt Bundey(Pg 141)1
- Roy Angrove – Darwin meat supply1
- Bill Ross – Mt Bundey1
- Design was for 20 head per day1
- Ammonia pipe and refrigeration equipment used from Bullocky Point (NT)
- rail line from various rail yards1
- Ore loader bins from the Adelaide River Uranium mine1
1961
- Plant in opertion, processes 20 head per day.(Pg 141)1
- lots of operational problems1
- Jim McGhie – controlled shooting and catching of Buffalo/Bulls1
- Johnny Richards drove refrigeration truck1
- Roy Angrove managed abattoir and did the marketing1
- Bill Ross managed Mt Bundey and cattle1
- Kevin Larkin – operated butcher shop in Darwin to sell goods1
1962
- Abattoir up to export standard(Pg 142)1
- Was thought the export rating would be very beneficial but meat exporters objected to Buffalo meat being exported on the same terms as Beef1
- Was a large demand for Buffalo1
- Loss of markets for Buffalo meat, mainly Japan as Buffalo had to be sold under different paperwork requirements.1
- Mt Bundey had to pay 400 pounds to have a trial shipment in Japan already there destroyed of Buffalo meat.1
- Hong Kong were a strong market for Buffalo1
- Other countries were interested but shipping and trans shipping made export unprofitable
- Buffalo had originally been shot before transport to abattoir for slaughter, attempted to use tranquiliser guns but Buffalo drowned in their own fluids as they were usually full of water and went into their lungs.(Pg 142)1
- Used drugs Nicotines, Scholine and Anectine in tranquiliser to lower losses but didn’t improve greatly (Pg 142)1
1965
- Temporarily closed due to personal moving to other areas and1
- Mt Bundey abattoir was unable to keep up supply to the shop, Sid Parker was able to source other goods for it to sell (Pg 143)1
- Reopening abattoir was difficult due to poor communications – using telegrams1
- Team assembled butchers, boners, mechanics, engine drivers1
- two teams of catching contractors1
- Commonwealth meat inspector resided at abattoir – was of great assistance in getting abattoir operating again1
- Processing meat that was shot and live caught – processing 50 head a day1
- Buffalo and scrub bulls processed, meat packed seperately and beef mainly went to SA(Pg 144)1
- Had permit to remove Buffalo from Kakadu national park (pg 144)1
- Interest was shown in people wishing to buy property or butchers shop but not together (pg 144)1
- Darwin meat Supply (butcher shop) and Mt Bundey was 25% owned by McGhie, Richards and Ross families, Perrett family owned rest.
- others brought out Perrett family.1
- Enterprises were to be sold at first opportunity1
1967
- American Company showed in purchasing Mt Bundey and shop as going concern (Pg 144)1
- February . American company paid 5% non-returnable deposit, 3 month option to purchase.1
- April. Amercian company paid out another 5% with 3 month option to purchase.(Pg 144)1
- July. Mt Bundey and Darwin meat supply sold to Americans (Pg 145)1
- Bill Ross stayed on as manager until the end of the year1
- consultants then would take over running and operation of property.(Pg 145)1
1968
- Laurie Howard starting catching buffalo for abattoir (Pg 189)
Sources
- ‘The Privileged few’ Jeff Hill. 2008