Norco partners with local communities to mark a significant milestone by offering free milk for school students and burying a time capsule
Norco, the oldest 100% Australian farmer-owned dairy co-operative and the last operating dairy co-operative in Australia, has turned 130, honouring the special day with a week of celebrations within its local communities.
The birthday marks a historical milestone for local agriculture, and one achieved by very few companies in general, particularly those that remain 100% Australian owned.
Norco brings back free school milk program
To mark this historical milestone in its heartland community of Lismore NSW, Norco brought back the famed school milk program, offering free milk for all primary schools and students in the Lismore region on its official birthday, Thursday 5 June.
Amid conversations and advocacy efforts to revive the national school milk program, Norco delivered thousands of milk bottles to participating schools, paying tribute to its heritage and the region where it all began back in 1895.
Norco CEO Michael Hampson said that the team at Norco could not think of a better way to honour its history and that of the industry, while giving back to its heartland community and expressing gratitude for 130 years of support.
“Reaching 130 years is a significant achievement, so we wanted to celebrate all our farming families, many of whom are multi-generational, who work through rain, hail or shine to deliver the best, freshest tasting dairy for our co-operative,” Michael Hampson explains.
“To honour the milestone, it felt only natural to give back to the next generation in this way, while at the same time helping to educate about the great health benefits of fresh milk,” Michael Hampson added.
Norco time capsule ceremony
The year Norco was founded, 1895, also marks a prominent time in our cultural history as it was the same year, Banjo Paterson, the famous bush poet, composed Waltzing Matilda; a song so synonymous with Australian culture it’s now considered the nation’s unofficial anthem.
To celebrate 130 years of agriculture and Australian culture, on the Gold Coast Norco partnered with neighbouring school, A.B Paterson College, whose namesake is also a tribute to Paterson’s enduring legacy and his profound connection to the Australian bush and its people, in a series of commemorative activities.
While the school’s acclaimed choir sang Waltzing Matilda, senior school students from the College buried a time capsule on the grounds of Norco’s milk factory in Labrador, capturing a moment in time to share with future generations.
Michael Hampson addressed the crowd, “In taking a walk down memory lane to honour our co-operative’s history, we were thrilled to uncover the shared history and aligned purpose that further connects us with our neighbours at A.B Paterson College.
“In planning these celebrations, we thought this was a perfect way to truly capture the significance of this milestone, while paying tribute to Norco’s original vision and values,” Michael Hampson concluded.
Norco was formed when a group of 40 farmers gathered in Clunes near Byron Bay to discuss how they could come together to secure a better future for the farmers of the region.
Honouring this vision, students from A.B Paterson College were asked to document their own hopes and dreams for their future, thoughts that can be unlocked and reflected upon at Norco’s 150th birthday.
Message of thanks from Norco farmers
Andrew Wilson, a fourth-generation farmer who has been supplying Norco for almost three decades, reflects on the birthday milestone and comments on how genuinely proud he and his family are to be part of the oldest and last operating dairy co-operative in Australia.
“Being a Norco dairy farmer is more than just producing great dairy. It means being part of a 100% farmer-owned co-operative that backs its farmers and supports its local communities,” Andrew Wilson acknowledged.
“It’s a great source of pride for not only me, but my whole family, and we truly appreciate anytime someone chooses to buy Norco, because when they do, every cent goes back to support farming families like ours, and for that we are genuinely grateful,” Andrew added.
With 130 years of rich history and still thriving, Norco has been creating Australia’s best tasting dairy for longer than other iconic Aussie brands such as Driza Bone, Myer and Qantas have been in operation.
Today, with 281 active members on 188 dairy farms in northern New South Wales and southeast Queensland, Norco employs approximately 800 people across five production facilities, two corporate offices and 25 rural retail stores that operate as far north as Bundaberg to as far south of the Hunter region in NSW.
Together, Norco’s farmers and 800-strong workforce look forward to continuing to evolve and innovate the co-operative, so that they can continue to create the best tasting dairy, while supporting regional communities and advocating for the needs of hardworking farmers right across the country.
