Recently while looking through Archival records in
Wellington National Archives, I had selected a record of a family member who
was a Dairy Farm Instructor. The record itself turned out to be the weekly
reports, which included visits to many New Zealand dairy powder factories that
were exporting products over seas like to Japan and Philippines. The record
ranged between 1962 to 1967. I didn’t stop with just one person as I wanted to
see if there were similar experience and personal information
The Dairy inspectors were part of the Department of
Agriculture with their first chief Dairy instructor being John Sawers in the
1890s.[1] Within the records I have
come across on their pay rates, which include their qualifications. At least 5 years’
experience gained working in dairy factories with no academic qualifications,
in the records between 1955 and 1960.[2] The Dairy inspector being
the highest of the positions and then the Dairy Farm Instructors were the
bottom of the rank. There were in 1960 around 87 Instructors stationed in
strategic positions around New Zealand. There do seem to be different types of
Dairy instructors for specific areas like butter, cheese and milk powders. Dairy
is a huge industry in New Zealand and was transported around the world. Products
being produced were Buttermilk, milk powders, milk, cheese and butter.
The tasks the Dairy Inspectors covered, seem to be
filing weekly reports, discussing changes with other supervisors, office
duties, grading and analysis, and certifying shipments. From the way I read the
records many inspectors seem to cover specific areas like milk powder. A.T.
Gabolinscy mentions excessive milk powder on the factory floor within several
reports and issues like foreign objects that had been found within the
shipments.[3] They would report on other
issues related to the factories especially how much were being placed upon the
ships and inspections on the milk trucks.
I collected around four records of Dairy inspectors
and three of them seem to be special inspectors, high up the food chain than
the one I was looking at. The family member, A.T. Gabolinscy, whom I worked out
to be Albert Thomas Gabolinscy listed several family member’s passing away,
which I used to confirm that he was the correct person. One of his brothers and
father had died several months apart in 1964. The bereavement leave was
included, but not the only information I came across. He included visits to the
doctors, medications he was taking and his general health. There was even
mention towards the end of a resignation letter that had been submitted. There
were reports for contamination at another factory like with mildew and these
are included within the weekly reports. There were talks with farmers as to how
to construct Herringbone sheds, the ones with the pit in the middle for the
farmer to walk between the cows.
Some of the issues surrounding Albert Thomas
20 May 1965
Annual leave taken for assistance and due to wife’s indisposition
14 October 1965
Attended examination at doctors surgery
1 June 1966
To Doctor Douglas for routine medical check up
Note in Week ending 1st July
1966
On Doctor’s recommendation I have greatly extended
hours of work, but as yet doctor does not feel I should undertake driving a car
to milk powder factories… Feels He would be up for working full time at the end
of a month, examination at end of August.
14 October 1966
Visited Doctor Douglas’ consulting room for routine
medical examination and afterwards to chemist for further supplies of blood
pressure pills as per doctors repeat prescription. Note: Doctor’s examination
indicated blood pressure a little higher than usual but of no particular
concern. Tests showed still very unsteady on feet and with no improvement in my
general condition indicated by the examination on this occasion.
21 October 1966
Traveled to Kohukohu for school Jubilee celebrations
on this day and on annual leave. Travelled at 6am with sister and brother in
law from Hamilton to Kohokohu.
24 Feb 1967
General office duties and visit to doctor’s surgery
following physical collapse in early hours of morning on this day.
5 May 1967
General office duties and discussion with LH Carter,
dairy instructor (Butter) re confidential letter from director re possibility
of my retiring on account of illness also endeavoured to ascertain likely
retiring allowance on superannuation.
Something curious on 30 July 1967
Checking ‘Not Suitable for Japan’ W.P.N.I for Manawatu
Dairy Co., and also check of Taranaki returns from Eltham factory re ’Not Suitable
for Japan’ powder.
This type of record I had not used before and I found
it interesting with the day to day going duties with an instructor as they
worked 5 days a week and probably for long hours during the day. They did seem
to cover some distance around New Zealand on a day to day basis and weekend
work, which was not very often.
Sources and Further information
Weekly Reports - Farm Dairy Instructors - A.T.
Gabolinscy 1962 – 1967, New Zealand National Archives, Wellington
Weekly Reports - Farm Dairy Instructors - G.S. Edwards
1962 – 1967, New Zealand National Archives, Wellington
Weekly Reports - Farm Dairy Instructors – McFetridge 1962
– 1967, New Zealand National Archives, Wellington
Weekly Reports - Farm Dairy Instructors - E.P. Carter
1962 – 1965, New Zealand National Archives, Wellington
Pay Rates - General Division Occupational Groups -
Agriculture - Farm Dairy Instructor 1950 – 1964, New Zealand National Archives,
Wellington
McLauchlan, Gordon A short history of farming in New
Zealand, Bateman Books, Auckland, 2020.
Agricultural Industries
[1] Gordon
McLauchlan, A short history of farming in New Zealand, Bateman Books, 2020,
p. 138.
[2] Pay
Rates - General Division Occupational Groups - Agriculture - Farm Dairy
Instructor 1950 – 1964, New Zealand National Archives, Wellington
[3] Weekly
Reports - Farm Dairy Instructors - A.T. Gabolinscy, New Zealand National
Archives
