SOUTH CANTERBURY
NEW ZEALAND
1865 - 1996
Part 2 - DB SOUTH ISLAND BREWERY
DB SOUTH ISLAND BREWERY L.T.D., WASHDYKE (EST. 1976)
Dominion Breweries has its roots in Otahuhu, Auckland. The "New Zealand Herald" in February of 1929 said "It is expected that before Christmas the products of a new and independently operated brewery, to be established at the corner of great south road and Bairds Road, Otahuhu will be placed on the market." The brewery was intended to be a family business, run by W.J Coutts, former owner of the main trunk brewery at Taihape. His father Joseph (originally spelt Khutze) had been brewing in Cromwell in the 1860's. The important factor of the success of the Waitemata Brewery was the meeting of W.J. Coutts and Henry Kelliher who had acquired Levers & Co Ltd, an Auckland Wholesale Wine & Spirit firm. Kelliher was the man that ensured the distribution of the new product ran smoothly. Kelliher also owned shares in ABC (Auckland Bottle Co) later Associated Bottle Co., which ensured a constant supply of bottles. In 1930 Levers & Co merged with the Waitemata Brewery Co to form Dominion Breweries Ltd. Like it's great rival NZB, Dominion Breweries indulged in take-overs of other small breweries throughout the country, Namely; Sunshine Brewery, Napier [1950]; Tui Brewery, Mangatainoka [1969], Taranaki Brewery, New Plymouth [1969], Westland Breweries, Greymouth [1968], and Nelson Breweries, Nelson [1969] Tui, Westland & Waitemata still survive.
The idea for a DB Brewery on the East Coast of the South Island was first mooted in the late 1960's when 10 o'clock closing was introduced. Sales of draught beer were climbing and the company realised that the cost of transport to the South Island would be prohibitive. Mr Walter Otto, general manager of DB was made responsible for the research into the establishment of a new brewery, the choice was either Timaru or Oamaru, Timaru was chosen because of its water supply, ease of waste disposal and a ready workforce. To make the project viable the brewery would have to be a large operation with an equal output. DB bought many hotels in the central South Island to insure ready sales.
A new company, DB South Island Brewery Ltd, was set up with 60%Shareholders owned by Dominion Breweries Ltd, and the other 40% owned by a consortium of South Island licensing Trusts, Namely; Invercargill, Mataura, Clutha, Oamaru, Geraldine, Ashburton and Hornby. The first directors' meeting was held on December 3 1974. Mr Otto turned the first sod on the new Washdyke site on December 4. Work began on the site on 1 April 1975, by C.Lund & Sons Ltd of Timaru.
The Inagural Board and Management of DB
South Island
R.Taiaroa, J.D. McFarlane, M.J.Adams, A.J.Delamare J.B.Crombie
A.J.Haslemore, D.J.Henderson, W.S.Otto and M.W.Coutts
The first brew was produced on 4 July 1976. Barrie Walker had started as production manager in March 1976, and was also one of the two trained brewers, who had trained in Greymouth. Alister Haslemore was the first manager. There had been a trend even as early as 1976 toward "stubbie" bottles, which caused some early problems. As did many of the bottle hall staff who had been hired in the "off season" only to return to their usual jobs at two particular meatworks.
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In late 1994 the DB South Island Brewery become the Mainland Brewery Ltd. A move that DB took to regionalise brands. In earlier days each of DB' Breweries labels identified the individual breweries i.e. Dominion Breweries Ltd or DB Central Brewery, Mangatanoka or DB South Island Brewery, Timaru. In 1985 a nation-wide system was used i.e. DB Breweries Auckland, Mangatawoka, Timaru. However by 1994 this had been reversed to Waitemata Brewery, Tui Brewery, Mainland Brewery and from 1995 Monteiths Brewery Co (Greymouth).
