Noarlunga (SA)

Noarlunga was a historic meatworks in operation during the 1950’s, It was instrumental in taking court action against the monopoly of the Gepps Cross works at the time and having the laws changed in SA to allow other meat works to process stock for export

Other Names

Current Operation

• No longer in operation

Location

• Noarlunga is located approximately 20km south of Adelaide in South Australia

Source Hema maps. Location of Old Noarlunga, and Port of Noarlunga

Operational History

1950

• Noalunga abattoir opens(Pg 88)¹
• Designed by the General Manager of the MEAB of Gepps Cross (Pg 88)¹
• At the time of opening it was not compulsory for meat killed outside the metropolitan area to be inspected.(Pg 88).¹
  • Noarlunga did have all carcasses examined by a qualified meat inspector

1954

• March 29. South Australian government take court action to prevent a private company slaughtering stock intended for export  claiming “such killings are prohibited by the Metropolitan and Export Abattoirs Act” (Pg 87).¹
  • Noarlunga Meat Ltd had slaughtered 150 lambs to export to Britain (Pg 86).¹
  • Noarlunga Meat were charged, argued that the Act was in conflict with Commonwealth law and therefore invalid
  • Supreme court gave an opinion on point of law in 1955
  • MEAB were more concerned about lose of future export business

1955

• August. MEAB v’s Noarlunga Meat – Supreme court hearing, text case (Pg 87).¹
• August to September a major industrial dispute last 8 weeks, occurs during the court hearing of the test case (Pg 87).¹
  • During the dispute Noarlunga helped to supply Adelaide with Fresh meat
• Frequent industrial disputes highlighted the vulnerability of the Gepps Cross works to supply fresh meat during a crisis (Pg 86).¹
  • Re-organisation of the Metropolitan and Export Abattoirs Act (MEAA)was called for
  • Country meatworks were to be able to freely supply Adelaide with fresh meat
  • Premier, Mr Playford was prepared to support as long at the abattoirs were no closer than 80 miles to each other for economic reasons (Pg 87)
• December 17. High court rule that a section of the MEAA is inoperative and invalid because it is inconsistent with the Commonwealth Commerce Act (Meat Export) (Pg 88).¹
  • Means South Australian Act no longer has sole authority for slaughtering for export
  • 02/03/1956 High court in Melbourne ruled that South Australia could not challenge the validiy of the commonwealth regulations
  • 04/07/1956 Privy court in London ruled South Australia’s claim was invalid

1956

• March 2.High court in Melbourne ruled that South Australia could not challenge the validity of the commonwealth regulations in regards to being sole authority of meat export in that state (Pg 88).¹
• July 4. Privy court in London ruled South Australia’s claim was invalid to be sole authority of slaughter of stock for meat export in that state (Pg 88).¹
• Noarlunga immediately sought and began to build substantial export market to the United sates of vacuum- frozen lamb cuts (Pg 88).¹
  • began expansion of it’s works to cope with increased throughput (Pg 88).¹

1959

• Managing director of Noarlunga Meat Ltd, Reg Hinton, formed the Derwent Meat Company Pty Ltd, a wholesale meat company in Tasmania (Pg 88).¹
  • Reg Hinton had moved away from South Australia because of the the control of the SA government exerted on the meat trade by means of the Abattoir Act.
• Noarlunga Meat’s victory in the courts effectively spelt the end of the monopoly held by Gepps Cross works and saw a number of other abattoirs begin operation with a view to export meat (Pg 89).¹

Sources

1. ‘The Meat Game – A history of the Gepps Cross Abattoirs and Livestock markets’ Richard Maurovic, 2007