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At the beginning of the nineteenth century a new trade sprang up between America and this country
in bringing ice from Wenham Lake in specially constructed vessels ; later this trade was transferred
to Norway for the shorter sea-passage. There is no information as to the various uses to which
this ice was put except for cooling wines in deep cellars that were always built in the large houses
of the period. However, the success of this preservative, limited though it was, led to a bold
experiment in 1873. James Harrison, born in Glasgow, at the age of 21 emigrated to Sydney,
there taking up journalism. During his leisure time he devoted himself to the production of ice,
and after many ups and downs took up the freezing of meat. Before attempting export he publicly
exhibited his cold producing machine; carcases of sheep, sides of beef, poultry, fish, &c., were frozen
six months and then consumed at a public banquet.
The stage was set for his great adventure; the s.s. "Norfolk" was fitted up, 20 tons of mutton
and sheep were loaded and frozen on board, tanks of ice and salt being the freezing mixture used to
effect the refrigeration of the cargo, but misfortune overtook this experiment, the tanks leaked,
and when the vessel arrived in London the meat was unsaleable.
To an Australian pioneer, also an emigrant from England, by name Mort, working at the same
time as Harrison on the problem of practical meat freezing, must be given the honour of actually
building the first freezing works in the world, in Sydney in 1861. Like Harrison he too gave, in
1875, a banquet of his frozen meats. The feast was so well praised that during the next year the
sailing ship "Northane" was chartered to carry frozen meat to England; a meat chamber was
constructed, the insulation consisting of a 15 inch space between two bulkheads filled in with tallow
with cold brine pipes fixed round the inside of the chamber. The meat was shipped, but just before
the vessel sailed the pipes failed, spoiling the cargo, which had then to be discharged. Three years
later, both Mort and Harrison died before they could see real success in meat freezing.
The North Americans had by now developed well appointed stockyards, and the well-known
firm of Swift & Company had, in 1860, their own system of transporting meat over long distances in
insulated railway trucks, the refrigerant being a mixture of ice and salt. Eleven years later exportation
of frozen beef from New York to the United Kingdom was inaugurated, and the White Star
liner s.s. "Celtic" carried frozen beef across the North Atlantic, refrigeration being secured by
passing cold air over ice blocks. But it was T. C. Eastman who, in October, 1875, shipped the first
parcel of American chilled beef to this country. A baron of that beef was sent to Queen Victoria
at Windsor Castle, the Queen pronouncing the meat to be "Very Good" and Eastman's, Ltd.,
have the Royal Seal in connection with that transaction. The beef was carried in canvas bags and
hung in the chambers, the chilling temperature being obtained by ice carried in tanks.
The first consignment of chilled meat from the Argentine was brought over by one Charles
Tellier, a French scientist and engineer, on the s.s. "Frigorifique," the cargo being landed in Rouen
in 1877. A previous attempt was made on the s.s. "City of Rio de Janeiro," but owing to the
machines failing on the homeward voyage the meat was eaten on board. These cargoes were small,
and did not arouse much enthusiasm in France, but the next year the s.s. "Paraquay" arrived at
Havre with a cargo of 5,500 carcases of mutton. This cargo was not chilled as in the previous shipments,
but frozen hard by a new type of refrigerating machine invented by Carrie, a Frenchman.
The idea of keeping meat at low temperature was now passing beyond the use of ice only; all
experiments so far had been to make ice first, then pass air over the ice or store ice in tanks
surrounded by the meat.
At home, Henry Bell, an imported meat agent, seeing the costly nature of iced transport, in
which a quarter of the space was not available for meat cargo, consulted Lord Kelvin, who introduced
Bell to J. Coleman, and between them they perfected a cold air machine, constructing a trial chamber
on the s.s. "Cercassia" of the Anchor Line.
Having heard of the success of the s.s. "Paraquay" the Queensland squatters cabled to London,
instructing their agents to obtain a steamer for the carrying of frozen meats. The s.s. " Strathleven"
was chosen, Bell-Coleman machines were designed and fitted on board, and arrangements were
made for loading at Sydney. Thus in February, 1880, there arrived in London 40 tons of beef and
mutton frozen hard; the first consignment of Australian fresh meat to reach England. This was
destined to revolutionise the world's meat trade, and very soon many vessels were employed in the
dead meat trade.
Naturally the New Zealand sheep owners, realising their great need of an outlet for the large
surplus of sheep, studied the reports of the new frozen export trade between Australia and England
with the greatest interest. A Mr. Davidson, on their behalf, investigated the whole position, resulting
in arranging with James Galbraith, a director of the Albion Shipping Company, to supply a
suitable vessel for a trial shipment of frozen mutton from New Zealand. The sailing vessel
"Dunedin" was picked, on account of her fast voyages made between the two countries. Mr. Coleman
himself supervised the fitting of the refrigerating machines, and in December, 1881, at Port Chalmers,
sheep were brought down alongside the "Dunedin," slaughtered, and then frozen on board.
Unfortunately, owing to a break down after some 600 sheep had thus been treated, they had to be
brought ashore, New Zealanders being then the first to consume their own frozen meat. However,
after repairs had been effected a new start was made, and at the end of a 98 day run the cargo was
discharged in London in May, 1882, in a sound condition, the consignment consisting of 4,450 sheep
and 449 lambs.
The result of the marketing of this pioneer shipment was so encouraging (the net average price
received by the shippers was £1 1s. 9d.) that another fast sailing vessel was engaged, the s.v. "Marlborough,"
and these two vessels continued to carry meat for several voyages, until tragedy overcame