Pauls (dairy) facts for kids
Pauls is a well-known Australian brand that makes many different dairy products. Its story began way back in 1923. Over the years, the company has had a few different names, like Queensland United Foods Ltd (QUF).
In 1998, an Italian company called Parmalat bought Pauls Limited. Then, in 2003, the company officially changed its name to Parmalat Australia Ltd. Today, Pauls is still an Australian brand, but it's part of the bigger Parmalat group. Parmalat itself is owned by a large French company called Lactalis. Pauls' main office is in South Brisbane.
Contents
History of Pauls
How Pauls Started
The company officially started on June 13, 1933. It was first called Pauls Polar Perfections Pty Limited. Edward Stokes was a key person in starting the company and was still the managing director in 1951. You might see the name written as Pauls, Paul's, or Pauls'.
The 1930s
In 1933, Pauls helped sponsor a party at the Brisbane City Hall. This helped them get noticed.
A few years later, in 1937, a Pauls factory in North Rockhampton was damaged by a fire.
Pauls Polar Perfections Limited changed from being a private company to a company whose shares could be bought by the public. This meant more people could invest in it. The company also started making fruit syrups and needed new machines for this.
At this time, milk suppliers had their milk checked for quality and bacteria by the Brisbane Milk Board. Pauls Ice Cream and Milk Ltd was registered to sell milk to other businesses. A new law about milk supply, called the Milk Supply Act, came out in late 1939.
The 1940s
Even though it was still quite new, Pauls Ice Cream & Milk Ltd wrote a book about its early days in 1946.
Many transport companies worked with Pauls to deliver their products. One famous company was Bill Bolton's Cobb & Co. Redman Transport, which delivered across the Darling Downs.
Pauls Milk and Ice Cream Ltd planned to build new facilities to make powdered milk. This was a big deal because it meant milk farmers wouldn't have to sell extra milk to butter factories. However, getting enough steel after World War II was a challenge.
In the late 1940s, Pauls milk started coming in a special glass bottle. It had a square shape and a gold-colored metal cap. This new bottle first appeared in July 1948.
Working at Pauls meant you could get staff superannuation (money for retirement) and other benefits. Employees followed rules set by an award, which is like a special agreement for workers.
The 1950s
In 1953, Pauls Milk Ltd began building two new powdered milk factories in South Brisbane. Powdered milk was helpful for people on special diets. It also helped people in faraway places get milk and was useful for cooking. It was also a good option when fresh milk was hard to find.
Pauls had many depots (storage and distribution centers) around Brisbane. Some were in suburbs like Rocklea and Coorparoo.
From about 1956, Pauls became the main supplier of milk products to Darwin. For many years, they had a plant there that made milk by mixing powdered milk with some fresh local milk. This supplied the whole "Top End" region.
The 2020s
In January 2020, Pauls won a contract with Queensland Health. This meant they would supply milk, yogurt, and other products to hospitals in the Metro North area. Some people protested, saying that a local company, Maleny Dairy, should have gotten the contract instead. They felt this would better support the government's 'Buy Queensland' policy, as Pauls is part of the French-based Lactalis company.
Over the years, Pauls has changed what products it makes. It used to make ice cream, but now it focuses on other dairy items. These include different types of milk and cream, custard, yoghurt, and milk and juice drinks.
Awards and Recognition
In 2013, Queensland United Foods (QUF), which was one of Pauls' names, was honored. It was added to the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame. This was to recognize its success as a public company and its great contributions to Australia's dairy industry. They were praised for new ideas in how they made products and how they marketed them.
Gallery
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Pauls Darwin quart milk bottle
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Pauls Darwin quart milk bottle base
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Pauls old logo seen during the 1980s
Pictures from inside the Pauls milk factory in South Brisbane in the 2010s are also available. You can find them in the '31361 Dean Saffron Paul's milk factory photographs' collection at the State Library of Queensland.
