Lancashire Dairy – an early Remuera business on the L J Keys corner site

Andrea was born at 6 Lillington Rd, and along with cousin Anne from Clonbern Road, recalls the paddocks down at the intersection where Lillington Road & Clonbern Road meet. This was where the horses (for the milk carts) were kept so that’s where it is assumed the farm was as stated on the receipts as “Fresh from the Farm on the Cnr Clonbern & Lillington Rd”

James also had residential property across the road at the then 128 Remuera Rd between Garden Road and Victoria Ave, roughly opposite Clonbern Rd, where his daughter Helen, my mother, was born, but street numbers were changed around 1920. Wises Auckland Street Directories records James Haslam, dairyman, as having a residence next to the Post & Telegraph Office on the corner of Remuera Rd and Victoria Avenue between 1908 and 1920, now 346 Remuera Rd.

In 1913 his wife’s brother Harry Cocker arrived. As James Haslam was already in business on his own account as the milkman plus the shop, the Lancashire Dairy, Harry assisted James night and morning with the milk deliveries and then worked for the grocer L J Keys Remuera during the day, while Florence looked after the Lancashire dairy which gave them living accommodation over the shop which became their first home in New Zealand. Later Harry decided to go into business for himself and owned 2 dairy rounds in Khyber Pass and the Belwood dairy Dominion Road.

James also had the Cheshire Dairy with a young man Alfred Sadgrove who then was with Grandfather at the Lancashire Dairy – see this on the attached Receipts from these establishments signed by my Grandmother (H. Haslam).

James Haslam was for many years the President of the Auckland Milk Vendors Association and the Auckland Metropolitan Milk Council, holding these seats until his death.