Dairying in Proserpine - Part 3

Concluding our story about dairying in the area…

Fraser’s Dairy: (As remembered by Phil's wife, Marie)

During the war, Phil Fraser was released from the army to assist his parents, Bill and Jane Fraser, in the running of their dairy which was an essential service.  Frasers delivered milk around town and out to the Army Camp at Gunyarra.  After the war, the dairy was sold to Mr Shaw and Jim Fraser. Another son of Bill, stayed on to work for him.  At some time during Fraser’s tenure, people were able to purchase tokens to put out instead of money to pay for the milk. Local children from that time later recalled playing with these.

Muller’s Dairy

Ron Muller Snr (Snow) started the dairy run circa 1941 when he began delivering milk to Dittmer Mines from a farm along the present dam road that his father had purchased from Bill Fraser.  When Dittmer Mines began to wind down, the family moved to Crystalbrook and commenced deliveries in the town area.  They purchased O’Hara's Dairy and were allowed to operate from those premises for about six months.  

At first, all milking was done by hand but the purchase of a three stand Buzzacot Milking Machine allowed them to milk three cows at a time.  Cows had to be milked twice a day come rain or shine and the milk either had to be used or tipped down the drain. So it was that, once, when there was a cloud burst at the top of the river and the road was impassable at Neilsen's crossing, five ten-gallon cans were loaded on an old cane truck that had been left at the siding. It was pushed by manpower along the tramline all the way down to Perske's farm where Joe, Snow's uncle, was waiting in his truck. He then drove Snow around town to deliver the milk.

For many years, deliveries were done by horse and cart. Later they used a Morris Ten and finally a Model T Ford. Sometimes people would be out waiting with a billycan but, at other times, no one would answer the door so they would simply go into the kitchen, find a container and leave the milk.  

At the peak of the season, Mullers delivered seventy to eighty gallons of milk but as the year wore on and the season became drier there was not so much milk and it sometimes ran out before the run was finished. In the afternoon, they would deliver to all of the customers who had missed out in the morning.

Snow recalled that he was never able to play sport because milking began every morning at 2am, deliveries continued until about 11am and afternoon milking began again at 2pm.

The Muller family eventually decided to change to beef cattle declaring they were not sad to move on. It would seem that dairying has always been a very demanding way to earn a living.  

The last vendors in the town area were thought to be the Helliers who went from house to house daily.  The advent of bottled pasteurised milk brought an end this type of business that had served the community so faithfully for so many years. After moving from Proserpine, Bert and Dorothy Hellier settled in Laidley South. Their son, George and wife, Alice, purchased a dairy farm in Laidley Creek West. Two of Bert and Dorothy Hellier’s descendants, their granddaughters, Cindy Hellier-Oliver and Diane Taylor reside in the area. Cindy settled here in 1994 and Diane in 2002.  

Story and photo courtesy Proserpine Historical Museum.

Hellier family at Proserpine show