Lal Mulligan - 125yrs Fairfield Freezing Works

A celebration of 125 years of the Fairfield Freezing Works (C.F.M.), organised by Historic Places Mid Canterbury, is on SAT 22 NOV at Fairton Hall, 2pm. All former employees, suppliers, truck drivers, fat lamb drafters, and former shareholders connected to CFM and Silver Fern Farms more than welcome. An opportunity to reconnect with old colleagues, reminisce about the past, and enjoy afternoon tea together. Historic Places Mid Canterbury will unveil photographic panels in the hall and hold several short talks about CFM’s history. Tea, coffee, and scones will be served (gold coin donation for afternoon tea). Attendees are asked to RSVP by THURS 20 NOV via phone or text to 021 065 2252.  Luke caught up with Lal Mulligan to share in some of the history. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Historic places mid Canterbury wanting us to do just that,
hosting a celebration of the Fairfield Meatworks next Saturday, the
twenty second, at the Fatton Hall gets underway at two pm.
All former employees, suppliers, truck drivers, fat lamb drafters, anybody
connected to CFM, PPCs and then silver Fern Farms as

(00:22):
it was in the latter days more than welcome an
opportunity to reconnect with old colleagues, reminisce about the past
and of course not let the truth get in the
way of some steally yarns. Lal Mulligan and Shirley Falloon
dropped by to share a few memories of their own,
such as how it all started for CFM one hundred
and twenty five years ago.

Speaker 2 (00:44):
Founding father John Grigg was instrumental in getting the freezing
works at Fairton up and running. CFM already had freezing
works in Belfast and christ Church that they've got underway
and about eighteen eighty one, but the local farmers were
shipping by train about one hundred and ten thousand lambs

(01:05):
a year up to christ Church and they they agitated
and said we need freezing works here. So John Gregg
and the secretary of CFM, a man called Frederick Weymouth,
who interestingly has connections to Mona Vail and christ Church.
That's why I like those little fun facts. They got
down to Ashburton and had a meeting and they managed

(01:27):
to get a large number of run holders to sign
up and take shares in the CFM, and they got
enough capital to start building a freezing works. Now this
was in eighteen ninety eight. The freezing works were opened
and under and working in eighteen ninety nine. Incredible, it

(01:50):
is amazing. And they actually bought over eighteen hundred acres
of land out at Fairton where they built houses churches.
They said aside land to build.

Speaker 1 (02:01):
A village was a bit like what they did in
Twice or around the hydrogect exactly, and.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
They set it up as a village to supply the
workers for the freezing works and boom, in ten months
it was up and running. It's an incredible story. And
our founding father John Gregg, was instrumental in getting the
freezing works here and we've got we owe him a lot.
If we hadn't had freezing works, the stocking rate in

(02:31):
MD Canterbury would have remained the same. A lot of
sheep when they got old, they killed them because they
were only growing for their wool. It was the only
thing you could export. So when the meat freezing industry
got underway, it was a transform transformation for this area
and we have a lot to thank those early people

(02:53):
who worked out you could freeze meat.

Speaker 1 (02:55):
We certainly do. One of Jamie McKay's favorite yarns the
ship Needen from Port Charmers to the UK with the
first frozen shipment eighteen eighty two. Well, they have almost
five thousand carcasses on board and despite a technical glitch
on the way it was a ninety eight day trip,
it arrived into London with just one and a half

(03:17):
spoiled carcasses and we have a lot to think that
for as well, by the sound of it. So if
you would like to be part of this celebration next
weekend what was at two pm at the Faton Hall,
they would love for you to RISVP by next Thursday,
the twentieth. You can do that by finding the number
on our website hawking it we dot co, dotting Zed,

(03:38):
click the tab that says what's on or get in
touch with her at the radio station or pass on
Shirley or Lull's number,