The hard work will be taken out of postal delivery by two 150cc motor scooters received by the local post office. The cycles, which were promised by the PMG (Post Master General) Department 12 months ago, will be used on a trial basis by Mr “Postie” Mackaway and Mr Sid Taylor. Mr Mackaway has a 15 mile run, incorporating all of West Port Macquarie, while Mr Taylor has an 11 mile run to Shelley Beach.

The new cycles, called Rabbit Tourers, are manufactured by Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. of Japan, and cost the department between $400 and $420 each. The local bikes were brought from Sydney by the Department’s equipment officer, Mr Norm Churchill. He is spending two or three days here instructing postmen how to operate the cycles and maintain them. Letters are placed in two large saddlebags at each side of the cycles, while parcels are carried on a rack on top.

Woolworths boost to local dairy industry

The Australian-owned Woolworths organisation is to commence cheese-making at Wauchope, on the Hastings River. Details of the project were announced in Wauchope, on Friday night, by the chairman of the Hastings Co-operative Limited, Mr H.L. Lindsay, and Woolworths’ director of trading, Mr Owen Price.

Woolworths will shortly occupy part of the Hastings Co-operative premises at Randall Street. They will install and operate the most modern cheese-making plant in Australia, using whole milk supplied by the co-operative from new adjacent premises under construction.

Woolworths had conducted an extensive survey of the state’s dairying districts. The dairy farmers in this area are not only a most progressive group, said Mr Price, but their co-operative is one of the foremost in the state with respect to refrigeration and other vital aspects of hygiene. 

Hastings stock supreme

A Hastings breeder won Woolworths’ $200 cash prize for the supreme champion dairy cow at Wauchope’s 58th annual show which concluded on Saturday.

He is Mr J.S. Eggert, of the Redbank Stud, whose cow Redbank Pixie was also the champion Friesian cow. Mr Eggert had a field day in the Friesian section taking all the championship honours, except junior champion female, which went to an entry by Mr Malcolm Latimore of Comboyne.

Another honour for the Redbank Stud was Mr Eggert winning the NSW Milk Board’s special prize for the cow producing the greatest quantity of milk in a 300-day test, the quality not to fall below 3.7 per cent butterfat.