National Lamb Day: How the Dunedin’s 1882 voyage changed meat exports

It's National Lamb Day on February 15. Photo / Doug Sherring

National Lamb Day commemorates a defining moment in New Zealand’s agricultural history: the first successful shipment of frozen meat to Britain on February 15, 1882.

This achievement marked the beginning of what would become one of the country’s most significant export industries and a cornerstone of its economic development.

The vessel responsible for this pioneering journey was the Dunedin, built in 1874 at Port Glasgow, Scotland, by Robert Duncan & Co for the Albion Line (later the Shaw, Savill & Albion Line).

The ship measured 241 feet (73.47 metres) in length and weighed 1320 gross register tons.

One of six Auckland-class emigrant vessels, it was designed to carry up to 400 passengers.

The voyage was organised by William Soltau Davidson, the British-based general manager of the New Zealand and Australian Land Company, which held more than one million hectares of land across the two countries.

Davidson had closely followed refrigeration experiments from 1876, which demonstrated that shipping frozen meat over long distances was technically possible.

In 1881, he arranged for the Dunedin to be fitted with a coal-powered Bell Coleman refrigeration system capable of cooling the ship’s hold to approximately 22C below outside temperature.

Thomas Brydone, a company employee, travelled to Britain to study refrigeration technology before overseeing preparations in New Zealand.

Much of the initial cargo came from Brydone’s slaughterhouse at Totara Estate near Ōamaru.

The carcasses were chilled on site, transported by rail to Port Chalmers, and frozen aboard the vessel.

Despite mechanical challenges, nearly 10,000 carcasses were frozen over two months, with about 5000 loaded for departure.

During the voyage, the ship became becalmed in the tropics, and problems arose with air circulation in the hold.

Captain John Whitson entered the freezing chamber to cut additional air holes, an action that nearly cost him his life but ultimately helped preserve the cargo.

When the Dunedin arrived in London in late May, only one carcass was condemned, and the quality of the meat was widely praised.

The success of this shipment demonstrated the viability of refrigerated transport and laid the foundation for New Zealand’s multibillion-dollar meat export industry.

It also supported the development of the owner-operated family farm as the dominant rural economic model for much of the following century.

The Dunedin completed a further nine voyages before disappearing in the Southern Ocean in 1890.

Today, National Lamb Day recognises this innovation and its enduring impact.

To celebrate this achievement, farmer organisation Ag Proud and Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) Inc are leading the planning of activities with support from B+LNZ Ltd and the Meat Industry Association.

With added support from principal partners Rabobank and FMG, this year’s National Lamb Day is set to be bigger and better than ever.

One of the main celebratory events will be held on February 11, a parliamentary BBQ hosted by Agricultural Minister Todd McClay to highlight the red meat sector.

The Country with Jamie Mackay will broadcast live from the event, which will be attended by MPs from across all political parties, farmers, and industry representatives.

National Lamb Day serves as a reminder of New Zealand’s history of agricultural innovation, resilience, and global trade connections.