Amscol company in 1922 formed by Adelaide milk supply dairymen; gains an establishment base of shareholders
The Amscol factory and delivery fleet in Carrington Street, Adelaide city, in 1930.
Amscol (Adelaide Milk Supply Co-Operative Limited) emerged from South Australian dairymen who supplied milk to the city of Adelaide forming an association for better trading with the distributors who handled their milk.
P.C. Manuel, who ran a dairy at Enfield, was the prime organiser in 1920 of what became Wholesale Milk Producers' Association. Gaining strength and wanting a bigger control of their produce, the dairymen of the association decided in January, 1921, to form a company with the nominal capital of £100,000 to absorb one or more of the existing distributors and retain control of their milk from cow to consumer.
After a lot of negotiation, 579 milk producers or 94% of the association, decided to take up 47,642 shares to buy Beauchamp Bros, the largest milk retail business in the city.
The dairymen’s company, Amscol, started business in in the former Beauchamp Bros premises in Carrington Street, Adelaide city, in 1922. The board of directors was: chairman Geo. C. Morphett, of Woods Point, J. R. Lawrie, of Two Wells, L. T. Cowan, of Blakiston, W. J. McNicol, of Salisbury and captain H. S. Hudd, with Walter Beauchamp as managing director and P. C. Manuel as organising director. When Hudd became a state government minister, his place as representative of Encounter Bay District was filled by G. V. Rogers.
Frank Beauchamp was works manager, and Harry Beauchamp in charge of the milk handling depot at Murray Bridge. To handle surplus milk, the company bought Woodside butter factory and J. Lauterbach took charge of the butter and cheese department, while a leased factory at Blakiston placed under George Legg. Amscol was founded not as a trader but as a broker to pool its shareholders' supplies.
Amscol initiated a continuing emphasis on quality, starting with weighing and paying for milk on a butterfat and quality basis. The board's report for the 12 months to June, 30 1923 showed a turnover of £151,327, “which on the principle that Quality sells Quantity, has grown to £452,555 for the year.”
As it expanded , Amscol sought a wider shareholder base beyond the dairy producers. Its shareholder list in the 1920s began to include some familiar Adelaide establishment names:
Acraman G. S., Angas C. H., Axford L. F., Ayers, J. M., Ayers Miss L. T., Ayers Mrs. H., Atkinson W. A., Bagot W. H., Bagot Miss, Bagot Mrs. Jnr., Baker J. R., Barker Jnr., Barr Smith T. E., Bischof M. H., Brown Dr. Gilbert, Brown Dr. Marie, Carr J., ChearyMrs.; Clark E. S., Cowan H. A., Crawford R. H, Davenport Howard, Davis J. R., Dobbie A., TV. & Co., Downer F. H., Edquist A. G., Edatrist Mrs, Flanagan E. K, Fotheringham Max, Gill Williams H., Goode M. A,, Gosse, T. H., Gunson, Mrs., Hayward, I. E.; Hudd, Captain H. S.; Hughes J. B., Hughes, Mrs., Hutchings, Mrs; Jacobs, S. J., Johnson, A. L. Landon, F., Law Smith, Harold; Leader, T. M., LeMessurier, J. C., Loutit Mrs., Lucas, Mrs, Lloyd H. W., Morphett J. C., Morphett Miss; McEwin Geo., McEwin R., McRae I., Newland Simpson; Newland Dr. H. S., Place T., Plumer Dr. Violet; Potter S. L., Prescott S., Rischbieth C. F., Robinson P., Ruddle H. J., Ruddle Mrs; Rymill Henry; Rymill H. E., Rymill, A. G., Rymill E. S., Rymill Mrs Frank; Sabine E., Saunders E. G, Scammell L. R, Simonette F., Simpson F. N., Soward G. K., Steele R. M., Tolley E. A, Turner D. C., Vidale L., Walkley A. J., Walkley Mrs, Waterhouse A.; Whelan M. L., Wills Mrs. B. A., Young W. J..
