The Dannevirke Co-Operative Dairy Factory is situated at Umutaoroa, five miles from Dannevirke. It was established in the year 1897 by a private syndicate, and was formed into a co-operative concern in 1900. Since that date the output of the factory has increased rapidly, several additions have been made to the buildings, and the property is now valued at about £3,500. The factory is built of wood, on concrete foundations, and contains four departments, the curing department being a detached building, specially erected for the purpose. The machinery is up-to-date in every respect, and is driven by an eight horse-power Brown and May engine, with a fourteen horse-power boiler. The factory has a capacity of one and a half tons per day, and the annual output is 130 tons of cheese and twenty tons of butter. The product, which bears the registered brand “Dannevirke,” is shipped to the Home markets, and realises the best prices. There are thirty-two suppliers and thirty-five sharcholders. Mr. H. Graham is chairman of directors.

Mr. Henry Graham, Chairman of Directors of the Dannevirke Co-operative Dairy Factory, was one of the original directors, and from its inception has been one of its largest suppliers. He was born in Lyttelton on the 16th of September, 1858, and is the son of a contractor, who come to New Zealand by the ship “Sir George Pollock.” Mr. Graham was educated at the Lyttelton Anglican school, was afterwards engaged in general manual work for several years, and finally joined the railway service as a shunter. At eighteen years of age he was transferred to Brunner, where he worked for six years, and was there at the time of the Brunner colliery disaster. He was then transferred to Christchurch, and twelve months later to Napier, where he worked in the shunting yard till May, 1900, when he severed his connection with the department in order to take up his present farm near Mangatera, Dannevirke. This property consists of 150 acres of excellent land, is situated on the main road, and is devoted to dairying. The dairy is conducted in the most systematic style; and is one of the finest in the district; and water is laid on to both dairy and residence by means of piping attached to an hydraulic ram. In May, 1906, Mr. Graham leased his farm to his two sons, and settled in Dannevirke. He has been a member of the Order of Oddfellows for over thirty years, and is a Past Grand Master of the Lyttelton Lodge; for nine years he was a member of the Lyttelton Fire Brigade, in connection with which he holds a long-service certificate. He is a skilful wood turner, and holds a gold medal, awarded as first prize for faney turning in wood, bone, and ivory, at the Greymouth Show of 1893–4. He also takes a keen interest in coins, and has one of the finest collections in the colony. Mr. Graham was one on the volunteers that took part in the settlement of the Parihaka trouble.

Henderson, photo.
Mr. H. Graham.

Mr. George Beatty, one of the Directors of the Dannevirke Co-operative Dairy Factory, was born at Longford, Ireland, in the year 1853. He was educated at a private school, and gained some experience in farming in his native place. In 1864 he came to New Zealand, in the ship “Armstrong,” and landed in Auckland, where for six months he found employment as a blacksmith. He afterwards worked for two years on a farm at Mangere, and as a carter for a short time at Epsom, and then for two years tried his luck on the Thames goldfields. Later on the found work in connection with sawmills on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula, and then worked successively at railway construction between Farndon and Hastings, at bridge building on the Ruataniwha Plains, at bush-felling and milling work on Blackhead station, at Takapau, Kopu, and also at Matamau. In 1886 he took up land at Umutaoroa where he settled in 1894. His farm consists of 204 acres of good land, and is devoted to dairying. A herd of sixty-four cows is depastured. Mr. Beatty is married, and has four sons and two daughters.

Mr. Christopher Souness was appointed manager of the Dannevirke Co-operative Factory in the year 1904. He was born in Southland, in 1867, was educated at the Edendale public school, and was afterwards engaged in farming for about nine years. He learned his present business at Aparima, near Riyerton, and at Edendale; afterwards managed a factory for three years at Woodlands, in Southland, and then accepted an appointment as manager of the Weber Factory, in Hawke's Bay, whence he succeeded his brother in his present position.

Henderson, photo, See jage 555.
Mr. G. Souness.