Mobile Unit. Walkers Pig Factory, Hawera

Rights Information
Year
1946
Reference
4582
Media type
Audio
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Rights Information
Year
1946
Reference
4582
Media type
Audio
Series
Mobile Unit - NZ oral history, 1946-1948
Categories
Interviews (Sound recordings)
Sound recordings
Duration
00:11:19
Credits
RNZ Collection
New Zealand Broadcasting Service. Mobile Recording Unit, Broadcaster

Mr Walker gives a description of the history and operation of Walker's Pig Factory, Hawera. Processes at the factory including pig slaughtering, and bacon curing.

The factory was established in 1908, by the late T. H. Walker in conjunction with Mr Nicholson, who has since left the firm. The first year, the factory processed around 500 pigs, and now (1946) they annually process around 50,000 carcasses. The factory has grown with the dairy industry. The pigs are sourced from Taranaki, Waikato, and the Bay of Plenty. Most are slaughtered, frozen, and shipped to England for curing into bacon.

Mr Walker says the war (World War II) has affected production - with the shortage of labour on the farms, pig production has dropped in New Zealand. He expects it will pick up again though. He then speaks about how the production works: he points out to the interviewer where the pigs arrive; the area for slaughtering; then the de-hairing process; inspection for disease; deboning; hanging; trimming; freezing; then shipping.

There is then discussion and explanation of the various machines in the factory, with sound effects. The sound of pigs being slaughtered can also be heard in the background.