Ross River Meatworks Chimney facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ross River Meatworks Chimney |
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Ross River Meatworks Chimney, 2009
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| Location | Stuart Drive, Idalia, City of Townsville, Queensland, Australia |
| Built | 1891 |
| Official name: Ross River Meatworks Chimney | |
| Type | state heritage (archaeological, built) |
| Designated | 14 August 2009 |
| Reference no. | 602719 |
| Significant period | 1891-1995 |
| Significant components | chimney/chimney stack, abattoir / slaughter house (commercial) |
| Builders | William McCallum Park |
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The Ross River Meatworks Chimney is a very tall brick chimney in Idalia, Townsville, Australia. It's a special landmark because it's listed on the Queensland Heritage Register. This means it's an important part of history!
The chimney was built in 1891. It was part of the Ross River Meatworks, a large factory where meat was processed. Today, it stands tall as a reminder of Townsville's past. It's also one of the tallest structures in the city.
Contents
History of the Meatworks Chimney
The Ross River Meatworks was built between 1891 and 1892. It was the first factory in Queensland made specifically for freezing meat. This factory was located by the Ross River in Townsville. The tall, 130-foot (40 m) (about 40-meter) brick chimney is the main part of the factory that still stands today.
Early Cattle Industry in Queensland
In the early days, the wool industry was big in Queensland. But cattle soon became more popular, especially in the wetter northern areas. However, it was hard to sell fresh beef because there wasn't a big market for it.
In the 1860s, farmers often sold extra cattle to "boiling down works." These places would boil down animals to make tallow (fat for candles and soap). They also used hooves, horns, and hides.
Ports were built in northern Queensland to help with farming. Port Denison (Bowen) opened in 1861, and Cleveland Bay (Townsville) opened in 1864. Robert Towns, who Townsville is named after, helped start the settlement at Cleveland Bay.
Meat Processing and Export
By the mid-1860s, a drought and money problems hit the farming industry. Farmers then focused on boiling down sheep and cattle for tallow. In 1866, Towns & Co. opened a boiling down plant in Cleveland Bay.
After gold was found at Charters Towers in 1871, a railway was built from Townsville. This railway, opened in 1887, helped farmers send cattle to Townsville. By the 1870s, there was a lot of beef, more than people could eat. Farmers needed a way to process meat for export. Freezing meat became the answer.
Experiments with freezing meat and using refrigerated ships began in southern Australia. After some tries, a successful shipment of frozen meat reached Britain in 1880.
Building the Ross River Meatworks
In 1890, the Queensland Meat and Export Agency Company was formed. They planned to build new meat-freezing factories in Townsville and Brisbane. Construction of the Townsville factory began in September 1891.
The factory was built on six acres of land by the Ross River. A short railway line connected the factory to the wharves. William McCallum Park supervised the building work. The factory used steam power, which needed a very large brick chimney. The chimney's foundation was 5 feet (1.5 m) deep. The bricks for the 130 feet (40 m) tall chimney were made right there on the site.
The Ross River Meatworks Chimney was one of many industrial brick chimneys in the Townsville area. These chimneys showed that steam power was very important in Queensland in the 1800s. Today, the Ross River Meatworks Chimney is the only 19th-century brick chimney left in the immediate Townsville area.
How the Meatworks Operated
The Ross River Meatworks started working on June 28, 1892. It used coal to power six large boilers. These boilers made steam for the factory's engines. Cattle and sheep were processed separately. An overhead tramway moved the meat to cooling, freezing, or canning rooms.
The freezing room was huge, about 100 feet (30 m) square and two stories high. It had powerful machines that could circulate a lot of cold air. The factory even had electric lighting, which was very advanced for the time! Experts from New Zealand visited in 1892 and said the factory was "better than any in the colony."
Challenges and Growth
The company faced problems in its first year. The first shipment of meat to London arrived spoiled in December 1892. Transporting the meat was difficult, involving trains, lighters (small boats), and then big ships.
The company got more loans and appointed a new director, William Forrest, in 1893. He helped turn the company into a success. A law called the Meat and Dairy Produce Encouragement Act of 1893 helped by providing loans.
The Ross River Meatworks expanded greatly by 1895. Its freezing capacity doubled. It could hold 200 tons of meat in each of its four new storage rooms. By 1912, it was considered the most modern freezing factory in the world. It also had the largest capacity of any meatworks in Australia and New Zealand.
The factory kept upgrading its equipment. Even during droughts, it produced more meat than any other factory in Australia. It supplied beef to American forces in the Philippines and opened a cold storage warehouse in Singapore. By 1912, it was processing 3000 cattle a week.
Strikes and Changes
In 1918-1919, there were big strikes at the meatworks. Workers wanted better conditions. These disputes were very tough. In 1920, a court helped settle the issues.
By 1921, the beef export business struggled. The company had a huge loss of £80,000. The Brisbane factory closed in 1933. However, the Ross River factory started exporting chilled beef. The Australian Meat Board was set up in 1936 to help manage meat exports.
By the 1950s, other meatworks had grown larger. The Ross River factory faced losses due to strikes, rising wages, and droughts. In 1955, the Vestey company bought the meatworks. They updated the buildings and machines, and reduced staff. The factory switched from coal to oil for power.
In the 1960s, the main export markets changed from the United Kingdom to America, and later to Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia. The meatworks remained a major employer in Townsville. In 1990, it had a record year, processing over 93,000 animals.
Closure and Preservation
In 1992, Vestey sold the meatworks. In 1995, the factory announced it would close. This was due to drought, live cattle exports, and other business reasons. Most of the buildings were taken down in 1997, but the chimney and an office building were left.
Later, plans were made to build houses on the site. The chimney was to be a feature in a new park. Money was spent to clean and fix the chimney. There were ideas for a small brewery next to it, but that didn't happen. The old office building was also demolished.
In 2008, a developer planned to remove the chimney. They thought it was too old and unstable. But Townsville residents fought to save it. A local leader, Jenny Hanlon, gathered support. This led to a new report that found the chimney could stay. The chimney was then added to the heritage list. It cost $200,000 to fix, but the Townsville City Council felt it was worth it to save the 120-year-old landmark.
What the Chimney Looks Like
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The Ross River Meatworks Chimney stands on the south bank of the Ross River. It's in the Idalia area of Townsville. Today, it's in a large area where new homes are being built.
The chimney is made of red bricks. It has a base and a tall, narrowing stack. The base is like a square platform, about 8.6 metres (28 ft) (28 feet) high. The main stack is about 31 metres (102 ft) (102 feet) high. The very top of the chimney widens out a bit and has a plain concrete cap.
The base has a large, flat top edge. Its sides have a rectangular shape pressed into them. The corners of the base are rounded. On one side, there's an arched opening at the bottom, which can be covered by a heavy metal door.
Metal straps wrap around the chimney at different heights to help hold it together. A lightning strap, which protects it from lightning, runs down one side to the ground.
A public walking and cycling path runs along the Ross River. It passes about 20 metres (66 ft) (65 feet) from the chimney.
Why the Chimney is Heritage Listed
The Ross River Meatworks Chimney was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on August 14, 2009. This means it's recognized as a very important historical site.
Showing Queensland's History
The chimney is important because it shows how Queensland's history developed. It connects the cattle farming in northern Queensland with the growth of the frozen and chilled meat export industry. This industry was very important for Queensland.
The chimney is the main part left of the first factory in Queensland built to freeze meat. This factory worked for over 100 years, from 1892 to 1995. It processed meat from all over northern Queensland, the Northern Territory, and Western Australia, sending it worldwide. In the early 1900s, it was the biggest meatworks in Australia and New Zealand.
The meatworks was a huge employer in Townsville, an important city in Queensland. The chimney also shows how early industries in Queensland relied on railways and ports to send goods to other countries. It also reminds us that early factories used steam power.
Unique Features of the Chimney
The Ross River Meatworks Chimney is made of bricks that were created on site. The mortar (the mix that holds bricks together) was made with sand from the Ross River. It is still in very good condition.
This chimney is the only meatworks brick chimney from the 1800s left in Queensland. It's also one of the few old industrial brick chimneys remaining in the Townsville area. This makes it a great example of its type.
Its Beautiful Look
The chimney is about 39.6 metres (130 ft) (130 feet) tall. It stands out in the landscape by the Ross River, just as it has since 1892. Because it's still in good shape and so tall, it's a well-known landmark along the Flinders Highway (Stuart Drive).
