The small town of Cororooke in south-west Victoria saw its more than 100-year-old dairy factory close four years ago.
Dairy farmer Andrew Beale grew up just down the road from the factory, and still farms in the area.
«There’s old photos of that factory being up there during the horse and cart days,» he said.
«Growing up watching the smoke come out of the big chimneys and chatting with the workers, things seemed to happen a lot slower back then.»
One door closes
The factory changed hands a number of times, and in its final years it was operated by dairy giant Fonterra.
Tom McBroom, who was the manager when the factory closed, worked there for 20 years.
He said rumours the factory was going to shut had been circulating since he started work there in 1993.
«So it was a shock when it did actually happen. I thought I was going to retire there,» he said.
«It was difficult for some. Some handled it better than others.»
Mr McBroom said Fonterra had been good to the workers, helping them retrain and find other jobs.
«Looking back, people I’ve spoken to in town, I haven’t found anyone who’s unemployed who used to work there,» he said.
Another door opens
Mr Beale said while the community had been concerned about the factory closing down, it had brought the town together.
«We are a fairly close knit community. We got together, we changed the way our community operated,» he said.
«We looked for other avenues of interest, we looked for other opportunities to keep our town vibrant.»
Cororooke has now become a cultural hub in the south-west of Victoria, with a new local theatre and art gallery, which Mr Beale was integral in setting up.
«For me I’ve always been interested in theatre. We thought this is a great way of expressing the other side of us,» he said.
«And giving us something else to have a release, have a change from the everyday slog of dairy farming.»
Cororooke Cafe owner Donna Sutherland said the town was better without the dairy factory.
«I think we’re a unique town and we tend to care for one another and look out for one another, and that’s the beauty of Cororooke,» she said.
Up for sale
The abandoned factory sits in the middle of the town and many locals, including Ms Sutherland, expressed dismay at what they called an eyesore.
«If it sells, and I hope it does, I’d love to see the area cleaned up and something utilised that can help grow the area,» she said.
The factory went up for sale a couple of months ago.
Mr Beale bought the farmland surrounding the factory and was hopeful the building itself would be sold soon.
«It looks derelict. It’s been closed now for a number of years and we’ve had issues with people breaking in and vandalising things,» he said.
«It’s not a good look for the town, so it’s much better if its open or functioning in one way or another.»
Real estate firm CBRE confirmed it was in negotiations with a buyer, and expected to have a sale in the next fortnight.
Looking on the bright side
For other towns now going through the upheaval of losing their dairy factory, Mr Beale said it was important to always look for the positives.
«It’s important that you reach out to your neighbours, your neighbouring towns, and see what else is available to keep the town afloat,» he said.
«When things happen that causes closure of sites and job losses and hardships, the only way to deal with that is to try and find the positives.»
