3 minute read
Remembering Balgay Cannery
The Balgay Cannery was located on Roper Road in Colyton and was one of our local area’s success stories operating from 1901 until 1976. The trading name “Balgay”commemorated the former home of founder, Peter Methven, who moved his family to Australia in 1886 from Balgay Hill, near Dundee, Scotland. By 1889 Peter Methven had started an orchard in Colyton with 50 acres of peaches, pears, and apricots. In 1901 he established “P.Methven & Sons” a fruit preserving business.
The first photo taken of work at Balgay factory
Courtesy of Mt Druitt Historical Society
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When Peter Methven died in 1913, three of his four sons (James, Peter and Robert) carried on the family business. Easter of 1919 saw the factory experience a setback when it was destroyed by fire. The sound of exploding fruit tins heard even in St Marys (Nepean Times, 26 April 1919). In the aftermath of the fire, James Methven’s son, Jack left school aged 13 to help with rebuilding.
By 1923 the Methvens were experiencing great success, selling fruit interstate and to NZ and even shipping a large consignment to the British Empire Exhibition.
Many of you may remember buying Balgay jam in tins with iconic, bright illustrated labels. Jammaking was added to the factory in 1933, eventually producing 30 different varieties.
A Balgay jam cook stirring jam in steam cooking pans
Courtesy of Mt Druitt Historical Society
World War Two saw the cannery experience a huge period of growth as it was well-placed to meet the demands of the fighting services for canned goods. Balgay supplied Australian, English and US forces, adding on to their factory buildings to enable an increase in production.
Balgay factory workers in the 1930s
Courtesy of Mt Druitt Historical Society
By the time it celebrated its jubilee in 1951 Balgay Cannery, which began as a small, family factory with minimal equipment and 10 employees, housed the most modern preserving and canning equipment and employed 160 men and women.
The golden era for Balgay had come to an end by the 1970s, as it became too costly to transport fruit from Western NSW. Balgay officially closed its factory in June 1976, having seen involvement by five generations of the Methven family since 1901.
Some locals report that the abandoned buildings became home to the St Marys Pigeon Racing Club for a time, possibly during the 1980s, however we have been unable to confirm this. If you have further information, we’d love to hear from you! Email ourplace@penrith.city
