Pātea marks 40 years since freezing works closed

Staff at work at Pātea freezing work about the era it closed. Photo / Supplied

RNZ

The 40th anniversary of the Pātea freezing works closing was bittersweet for former workers attending.

Commemorations were held over the weekend.

Aerial view of the Pātea freezing works in 1958. Photo / Supplied

Meat processing began in Pātea in 1883 and almost a century later the freezing works took up 2.5 hectares and processed about $25 million worth of beef and lamb.

But faced with a downturn in the industry on 3 September, 1982 about 800 staff were laid off in one stroke, devastating the Taranaki town's economy.

Cattle now graze where "the works" once stood.

Former meat inspector Syd Kershaw had fond memories of his time there.

Former meat inspector Syd Kershaw remembers the fun time singing with colleagues at 'the works'. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin

"Oh, it was great. It was huge and the friendship of the people, the men and that, it was excellent.

"And on the chain there was always singing. We sang Māori songs, and some of the old songs the club did."

Kershaw, 81, was a founding member of the Pātea Māori Club whose hit song Poi E was inspired by the plant's demise.

He said its closure hit people hard.

"This was our home, it was very sad. Especially seeing all the old chaps and that, you know. Kei te tangi au kia koe (I cry for you). I missed them and I still miss them."

Syd Kershaw transferred to Northland as Pātea shed half its population and businesses closed down.

Hemi Ngarewa worked on a meat processing chain at the Pātea Freezing Works from 1959 until it closed in 1982. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin

Hemi Ngarewa, another Pātea Māori Club stalwart, was employed at the works from 1959 through to its very last day.

"Everyone enjoyed the company of one another, the involvement that we had with one another not only in the freezing works but also outside of the freezing works.

"And Syd did say that we used to sing. We used to sing the song about the men working on the chain [gang] that kind of song and people used to do the beat with their knives and steel."

He worked on the meat processing chain.

"And during its flush or full season we used to have three chains going and we had 30 up to 40 people on a chain, so we're talking about in the vicinity of 60 working on the chains.

"And so basically we were all devastated when the works closed, including myself."

Hemi Ngarewa, 79, went to university and retrained as a teacher.

Rex Ansley started work at the Pātea Freezing Works in 1941 and was responsible for the last ever pay run. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin

Rex Ansley was in charge of payroll and organised the final pay run.

"It was a bit of a shock actually even though I knew beforehand because I had to get all the money arranged, but it was quite a sad day actually.

"I felt sympathetic to all the people because, yeah, I felt for the people because there was nothing going for them."

Ansley, 95, did not think Pātea - which once boasted 75 businesses including five doctors and three hotels - would ever fully bounce back.

"Because people have moved out where we used to have a population of about 2500 you could just about count them all up on two hands now."

But Hemi Ngarewa was more upbeat and pointed to Ngāti Ruanui's new blueberry orchards and the iwi's takeover of medical services.

He said there was also still a strong sense of community.

"People still look after and care for one another in what we call aroha or love and that's important."

Pātea freezing works workers. Photo / Supplied

According to the 2018 Census, Pātea had a population of 1191 about 100 more than in the previous Census in 2013.

Organised in conjunction with the Pātea Historical Society, commemorations begin with the unveiling of a memorial stone at the freezing works site on Saturday morning.

A market day will also be held at Te Pae Pae in central Patea and the Aotea Utanganui Museum and a Freezing Works Display will be open on Egmont Street.