Current Operation
- Closed 19891
Location
- Urapunga station – Roper River. Roper Gulf NT
Owner
- Ray Fryer1
Operation
- killed 10-20 a day, meat chilled and boned then boxed and sent south1
- Expensive to build $80,000 – $100,000, had to be good quality and meet standards of NT Health and Safety standards1
- Employees – Slaughterman, boner and two helpers1
- Operated May to October1
- Offal, gut and hide was buried, blood and water pumped onto paddocks1
- Licensed to sell anyway south, NSW, SA and Victoria1
History
- Built a small abattoir on the property, as a diversification for income by way of selling direct to the interstate market.1
- Ray went to Urapunga 1968, left 1989. Early days road transport was non existant, Roper Highway was only built up in 80’s, initially only gravel. Access depended on the Roper bar crossing being accessable. Prior to the abattoir, cattle had to be walked to Elliott – several weeks drove, where they were dipped and sent to other sale points.
- Sometimes buffalo sent to Darwin live for slaughter at Angliss abattoir2
- Early 80’s – Was receiving $50 per head for bulls delivered Katherine abattoir, cost $15 freight. Often couldn’t get cattle booked into abattoir. Katherine operation very erratic, would start and stop2
- Mainly processed bulls, Called a Slash/cut beef, meat was boned out and boxed, snap frozen for 24 hours on property and then placed in refrigerated trailers for transport to Darwin where agent on sold meat to NT, NSW and SA2
- Large aboriginal community lived close by, Ray would kill buffalo and cattle for them and give them meat from the abattoirs2
1983
- Built own small abattoir at Uranpunga2
1989
- Closed when sold Property2
Source – ‘Red dust rising’ – The story of Ray Fryer of Uranpunga – Marion Houldsworth
Slaughtermen skinning a carcase in the abattoir at Urapunga
Sources
- ‘Red Dust Rising- The story of Ray Fryer of Urapunga’ Marion Houldsworth 2004.
- Personal Communication #1 07.03.13.