Dehydration and Canning Factory

Statement of Significance

Dehydration and Canning Factory (fmr) was built to process fruit and vegetables to supply the Armed Services during World War II, and included the first apple juicing plant in this State. The place illustrates the establishment of a secondary industry in Donnybrook in this period, and the extant building is a substantial shed on the main street of the town.

Physical Description

Dehydration and Canning Factory is a large skillion roofed shed clad with corrugated asbestos cement sheeting. The shed fronts onto the South Western Highway and backs onto the railway.

History

The Dehydration and Canning Factory (fmr) was built in 1943-45. The entry of the U.S.A. into World War II brought deployment of American forces in the Pacific and Australia greatly increased demand for canned and dried foods. This led to expansion of vegetable and fruit growing and the canning industry, and initiation of a vegetable drying industry in Australia. In September 1942, it was reported dehydration plants were to be built in the major apple growing districts of Donnybrook, Bridgetown and Mount Barker, and it was proposed to dry 600 tons of apples per annum and also can apples, mostly to supply the Armed Services. The Commonwealth government provided financial assistance to erect the factories equipped with the most modern machinery. The war had severely restricted export markets for fruit, and Donnybrook apple growers welcomed the erection of the dehydration and canning factory, which began operations in July 1943. In 1944, the apple juicing plant was completed and was officially opened by Mr. W. J. Scully, Minister for Commerce and Agriculture, on 13 August 1944, at which date it was the only apple juicing plant in this State. The Public Works Department of Western Australia (PWDWA) was closely associated with the design and construction of the factory, together with Jim Farrell, manager of Paterson and Co., at Fremantle. This company, one of the largest exporters of apples and pears from the Donnybrook and Bridgetown area in the inter-war period, operated the factory, which A. H. Convoy (known as ‘Con’) managed from early 1944. After the apple season, the factory dried and canned vegetables, including cabbages and potatoes. In 1945, with Commonwealth government funding, Paterson and Co. built a large cool-store for 20,000 cases of apples to enable a longer period of juicing and drying, which was the first such facility at Donnybrook. The dehydration and canning factory, which produced approx. 2 million cans of apple juice, and the flax mill, also built to meet war-time demand, were significant secondary industries and brought increased population in this period. In the late 1940s, Paterson and Co. Ltd. operated the factory and experimented with products aimed to attract a wider market. Satsuma plums sold well, pie-apples found a market in Australia and East Africa, and there was demand for tomatoes. Jim Farrell persuaded Paterson and Co. to invest £5,000 ($10,000) to extend the factory building and install six large concrete vats to produce cider, and a new company, Preston Products Ltd., was formed to operate the factory and cool store, with A. H. Convoy continuing as manager. When Paterson and Co. Ltd. decided to focus on fruit packing the State Government took over the factory and a local company, Donnybrook Cider and Canning Co., was established to lease and operate it, but only the cool store proved viable. In 1953, Craig Mostyn and Co., a large fruit exporting business in the Eastern States, took over the place and converted the buildings to apple-packing, and this use continued into the 1970s. Later the factory was incorporated into a large hardware store. By the late 1990s, the only remaining original section was the front part of the southern end facing the highway, and a large new customer service area and office had been built at the northern end. In 2011-12, the hardware business continues.

Integrity/Authenticity

Moderate

Condition

Fair to good

Uses

Historic Themes

Creation Date

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