Bourke abattoir is a historical export abattoir now closed, Initially built by the Tancred Brothers in 1940 it continued to process stock for many years. Finally deregistering after 1997 and closing permanently
Other Names
- Operating business name – Bourke Abattoir1.
- Common name used
Current Operation
- Facility is currently closed.
- Aus meat accreditation Number 241
- Operator website links
- Contact for employment
- Contact for sales.
Location
- Description of physical location in relation to main town and state
- distance to main urban areas or export sites of that state
Insert – Australia map. location of approximate town site.
(Make Australia map default picture for site.)
Insert – Locality map of more localised area of site
Other abattoirs in Australia
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Owner
- Tancred Brothers
- Siteburn P/L
History
Year
1938
- Tancred Brothers open Bourke abattoir1
- Facility was built from winnings of a racehorse called ‘High Caste’ (Pg 289)1
1940
- Bourke abattoir is expanded1
- Tancred Brothers begin work on an abattoir at1 Tenterfield. NSW
Insert picture – World on a plate Pg 290
1941
- With the outbreak of War – WWII1
- Bourke is killing thousands of sheep for the services1
- Exported to United Kingdom1
- Carcases are telescoped1
- Shipping space was a premium so legs were cut off the carcases and put into the trunk of the lamb1.
- Bourke is killing thousands of sheep for the services1
- Dehydration plant was installed to assist with urgent need to keep food up to the troops1
- Mobs of cattle, 600-700 head were often walked from QLD to Bourke to be processed1
- Swam the Darling river if it required1
- Significant shortage of workers forced skilled labour to be imported from Medina, Italy1
- Contracted immigrants for 2 years1.
- Many remained as permanent residents1
- Contracted immigrants for 2 years1.
Late 1940’s
- Owen Tancred runs the Abattoir (Pg 290)1
1950’s.
- Emergence of US market presented major opportunity to build a new innovative abattoir to process cattle. This facility was Beaudesert #525 QLD1.
1975
- Australian cattle herd had is 33M head1
1980’s
- Tancred’s have established themselves as major players in the Australian Beef industry1
- Was a major private land holder under the name of Australasian grazing company1.
- Tancreds plants were now processing 450,000 head of livestock a year1
- Tancred’s now operate plants1
- Cape River. QLD
- Harden. NSW
- Mt Isa (NSW) – think is error.
- Shepparton Vic.
- Oxley QLD, this facility included a cannery
- Tancred’s had been a major growth company from 1975 to 19801
- With earnings per share of 88% per annum1
1984
- Australian cattle herd is 22M1
- Fallen from 33M in 19751
- Tancred’s own assets worth over $100M1
- Annual turnover of $300M1
- Tancred’s control up to 10% of Australian meat production1
- Most of growth had been financed on loans in US dollars as foreign exchange loans1
- Bank wouldn’t allow Tancred’s to trade out of debt and called in the loans1
- Enforced liquidation that involved the sale of nearly all Tancred’s land assets1
- Trading of processing at the time was extremely difficult1
- Industry needed to be more efficient1
- Still adjusting to the post – 1979 Oil crisis1
1986
- Tancred’s became part of Australian Meat Holdings (AMH)1
- Joint venture between Metro Meat, Smorgon, Elders/FJ Walkers, Thomas Borthwick and Tancred’s1
Sources
- ‘World on a plate. A history of meat processing in Australia’ Stephen Martyn
- Ausmeat Accreditation list – Date
Tagged: Abattoirs in Australia, Australian Abattoirs, Australian meat processing, Australian meat processing facilities, Australian meatworks
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