Beauchamp brothers start the milk delivery/ production revolution in South Australia in the early 20th Century
The Beauchamp Bros had had the first motorised milk delivery truck in South Australia by 1917, in an era was delivered to homes in mainly 10 gallon galvanised-tin milk cans carried by horse and dray.
The enterprising Beauchamp brothers started the South Australian milk industry revolution in 1915 when insufficient milk was coming from the surrounding plains to supply Adelaide where they had delivery rounds.
Walter and Frank Beauchamp founded their business in 1909 on the north side of Carrington Street, just east of the Earl of Aberdeen hotel, in Adelaide city, and built it into the metropolitan area’s biggest.
Wanting to receive more milk from the dairies along the River Murray, Harry Baker Beauchamp and his brothers built their milk factory on the riverfront at Murray Bridge, known as Beauchamp Bros. By 1917, they had the first motorised milk delivery truck in South Australia in an era was delivered to homes in mainly 10 gallon galvanised-tin milk cans carried by horse and dray.
The milk for the Beauchamp Bros. factory at Murry bridge came from dairies along the river, mainly Woods Point, Monteith and Mypolonga. Boats carried the milk in ten-gallon cans to the factory where it was pasteurised and cooled. The milk was put into 150-gallon wooden barrels and taken by train to Adelaide. The fresh milk not required in Adelaide was made into cheese in Murray Bridge.
When AMSCOL (Adelaide Milk Supply Cooperative Limited) took over Beauchamp Bros, the largest milk retail business in the city, Walter Beauchamp (later honoured as dairy industry icon) became AMSCOL general manager and Harry Beauchamp took charge of the milk handling depot at Murray Bridge.
The Beauchamp family later diversified into other businesses. Harry and his wife Judith opened Beauchamp’s Café in Bridge Street, Murray Bridge, in 1940. They also managed the kiosk, owned by the town council, at the river front
In 1947, after his father died, Harry Jnr went into business with his mother in the delicatessen. Beauchamp’s Deli, in Bridge Street, Murray Bridge opened a modern dining room in the 1950s offering three-course meals. In 1956, Harry opened Beauchamp’s Shoe Store. His son John Beauchamp started selling shoes in the family business in 1974.
